September 30, 2026
Mr. Schmitt (for himself and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To amend section 1362 of title 18, United States Code, to address vandalism of copper, fiber, and coaxial cables used to provide telecommunications and information services.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Combating Critical Infrastructure Vandalism Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Communication lines, stations, or systems
Section 1362 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by striking Whoever willfully or maliciously injures or destroys
and inserting the following:
(a) In general
It shall be unlawful to—
(1)
willfully or maliciously injure or destroy;
(2)
in subsection (a), as so designated—
(A)
in paragraph (1)—
(i)
by striking interferes
and inserting interfere
;
(ii)
by striking obstructs, hinders, or delays
and inserting obstruct, hinder, or delay
;
(iii)
by striking attempts or conspires
and inserting attempt or conspire
; and
(iv)
by striking , shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
and inserting the following: “; or
(2)
willfully or maliciously injure, destroy, or steal, or attempt or conspire to injure, destroy, or steal, any copper, fiber, or coaxial cable used to provide telecommunications services (as defined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153)) or information services (as defined in that section) that is used in or affects interstate or foreign commerce, whether constructed or in the process of construction.; and
(B)
in paragraph (2), as so designated, by striking In the case of any works
and inserting the following:
(b) Limitations
(1) Certain lawful concerted activities
In the case of any works;
(3)
in subsection (b), as so designated, by adding at the end the following:
(2) Customer premises equipment
(A) In general
Subsection (a)(2) shall not apply to customer premises equipment.
(B) Customer premises equipment defined
In this section, the term customer premises equipment means equipment physically located on a customer’s property that is owned, rented, or leased by the customer.; and
(4)
by adding at the end the following:
(c) Penalty
Any person in violation of subsection (a) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.