Citizen Portal
Sign In

Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!

Senate approves enhanced penalties for theft of critical infrastructure, targeting copper theft

5479550 · April 23, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The Louisiana Senate passed SB22 to create a new offense for theft of critical infrastructure, prompted by rising incidents of stolen copper and resulting service disruptions. Sponsors and law enforcement said the measure brings stronger penalties to protect utilities and emergency communications.

The Louisiana Senate on April 28 passed Senate Bill 22, creating the crime of theft of critical infrastructure and adding enhanced penalties for those who steal materials such as copper that are used in power, communications and transportation systems.

Sponsor Senator Jackie Hodges said the measure responds to “a growing problem” of copper theft that has caused significant service disruptions. “This is a necessary response to a growing problem that we have and it doesn't this bill doesn't just involve the copper itself. It involves damaging…

Already have an account? Log in

Subscribe to keep reading

Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.

  • Unlimited articles
  • AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
  • Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
  • Follow topics and more locations
  • 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
30-day money-back on paid plans