Chanz Green, Wisconsin State Representative for 74th District | www.facebook.com
Chanz Green, Wisconsin State Representative for 74th District | www.facebook.com
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "harassment of search and rescue dogs and providing a penalty".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill amends existing laws to include search and rescue dogs under the protections previously offered only to animals used by law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It makes it illegal to frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse, or physically harm these animals. Violations result in a Class B forfeiture, escalate to a Class A misdemeanor if the offender is aware the animal is a police, fire, or search and rescue dog, and further escalates to Class I or H felonies if the actions cause injury or death, respectively. The bill also mandates restitution for criminal violators, including costs for veterinary care and replacement animals. The definition of a search and rescue dog is clarified as one trained by a recognized agency to locate missing individuals or disaster victims.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Jesse L. James (Republican-23rd District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), Representative Rick Gundrum (Republican-58th District), Representative Jeffrey Mursau (Republican-36th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Van H. Wanggaard (Republican-21st District), along five other co-sponsors.
Chanz J. Green has co-authored or authored another 55 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Green graduated from Northwood Technical College.
Green, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2023 to represent the state's 74th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Beth Meyers.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB239 | 05/02/2025 | Harassment of search and rescue dogs and providing a penalty |
| AB238 | 05/02/2025 | Prohibiting hotels, inns, and motels from discriminating against dog handlers who are accompanied by search and rescue dogs |
| AB216 | 04/23/2025 | The amount and distribution of the real estate transfer fee, grants under the land information program, real property recording notification systems, and making an appropriation. (FE) |
| AB210 | 04/23/2025 | Changes to amount of, and criteria for designating recipients of, academic excellence higher education scholarships. (FE) |
| AB182 | 04/15/2025 | Changes to the low-income housing tax credit. (FE) |
| AB181 | 04/15/2025 | County forest administration grant eligibility |
| AB161 | 04/04/2025 | Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device |
| AB83 | 02/28/2025 | Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device |
| AB59 | 02/24/2025 | The use of federal capitalization grant funds for lead service line replacement. (FE) |
| AB9 | 02/06/2025 | Allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property |
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