BILL NUMBER: AB 1782 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chesbro FEBRUARY 18, 2014 An act to amend Section 591 of the Penal Code, relating to property crimes. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1782, as introduced, Chesbro. Wires: unlawful removal. Under existing law it is a crime for any person to unlawfully and maliciously take down, remove, injure, or obstruct any line of telegraph, telephone, or cable television, or any other line used to conduct electricity, or to sever any wire, or make any unauthorized connection with any line, other than a telegraph, telephone, or cable television line, used to conduct electricity. Under existing law a violation of these provisions is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed 16 months, 2 or 3 years, or by a fine not exceeding $500, or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year. This bill would increase that fine to an amount not exceeding $50,000 per incident. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 591 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 591. A person who unlawfully and maliciously takes down, removes, injures, or obstructs any line of telegraph, telephone, or cable television, or any other line used to conduct electricity, or any part thereof, or appurtenances or apparatus connected therewith, or severs any wire thereof, or makes any unauthorized connection with any line, other than a telegraph, telephone, or cable television line, used to conduct electricity, or any part thereof, or appurtenances or apparatus connected therewith, is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170, or by a fine not exceedingfive hundred dollars ($500)fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per incident , or imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year.