Signal jammers.

Senator Wahab, with principal coauthor Senator Niello, advances a measure that targets signal jammers by creating a new penal code offense tied to federal authorization, and it opens a tiered set of penalties for those who manufacture, import, market, purchase, sell, or operate such devices without FCC approval.

At the core, the measure would establish a new offense framework: manufacturing, importing, marketing, purchasing, selling, or operating a signal jammer without FCC authorization would be an infraction for a first offense, with a fine of up to five hundred dollars. A second or subsequent violation would be a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year and a fine of up to one thousand dollars, or both. Additionally, operating a signal jammer in conjunction with the commission of a misdemeanor or felony would be a misdemeanor, carrying up to one year in jail and up to a one-thousand-dollar fine, or both. A separate provision targets willful or malicious use of a signal jammer to block state or local public safety communications when the user knows or should know that such use is likely to cause death or great bodily injury and that harm results; that offense is treated as a crime under the applicable criminal-penalty framework. The act requires forfeiture of the device upon conviction and provides an explicit exemption for authorized and lawful use by local or state law enforcement. Definitions establish that a “signal jammer” is a device that intentionally blocks, jams, or interferes with authorized radio or wireless communications, and that “public safety communications” cover the systems used by emergency responders to communicate with each other.

The enforcement framework relies on standard criminal processes and hinges on a federal-state interface centered on FCC authorization for legality; the measure does not create a separate state licensing regime. It treats these provisions as new crimes and infractions rather than amendments to existing statutes, and it includes a no-reimbursement clause for local agencies, consistent with a provision that no additional state funds are dedicated to offset local costs. The text notes that the act would be considered a state-mandated local program, with local costs potentially arising from enforcement, prosecution, and forfeiture procedures.

Legislative history shows movement through both houses in the 2025–2026 session, with passage in September 2025 and enrollment shortly thereafter; the introduction occurred in February 2025, followed by amendments earlier in the year. The operative date is not specified in the text provided, so the enrolled version would determine the effective date. In the broader policy context, the measure sits alongside existing provisions related to interference with public safety communications and other devices used to alter or obstruct law-enforcement activities, establishing a discrete offense category focused on signal jammers and their use.