Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to extend existing criminal penalties related to the damage or theft of telecommunications equipment to also cover broadband and cable services in Minnesota.

Main Provisions

• Extension of Crime Definition: The bill seeks to amend the current law to include machinery, equipment, and fixtures used for broadband and cable services as protected under the crime of deliberate damage or theft.
• Specific Equipment Included: Items such as computers, transformers, amplifiers, routers, repeaters, multiplexers, and similar devices that are used in telecommunications—including those for broadband and cable services—are specifically mentioned.
• Broader Protection: The bill encompasses a wide range of equipment associated with the generation, transmission, or distribution of these services, including wires, cables, poles, and conduits.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• The existing law, which originally covered telecommunications equipment related predominantly to electricity, gas, and basic telecommunications, is now being expanded to explicitly protect broadband and cable infrastructure from damage or theft, reflecting the evolving nature of communication technologies.

Relevant Terms

telecommunications equipment, broadband services, cable services, damage, theft, electricity transmission, telecommunications infrastructure, legal amendment.