“Copper theft outages create clear risks and negative impacts for the communities affected by them, but Federal law does not penalize acts of theft and vandalism that disrupt the critical communications infrastructure they rely on every day. We appreciate Senators Schmitt and Padilla for their leadership on this bipartisan bill that would help deter theft and vandalism and safeguard reliable access to essential communications services. With this legislation, Congress can help protect networks and in turn the communications that our communities rely on.”