Thinking of taking off at the gas station before paying that $20 gas bill? Think again. Drivers in Wisconsin could loose their license if caught in a “drive-off” under a new bill that was passed by the state Assembly.

The bill prohibits a person from deliberately leaving any place where gasoline or diesel fuel is sold without paying. First offenses result in a fine of not more than $200. For a second offense, a judge may suspend a person’s driver’s license for up to six months. The penalty goes up to a mandatory six months for a third offense and one year for the fourth offense.

Currently, the penalty for stealing gas in Wisconsin is a Class A misdemeanor. According to the Petroleum Marketers Association of Wisconsin/Wisconsin Association of Convenience Stores, this punishment is not an effective deterrent to prevent gas theft.

The author of the bill, Rep. Becky Weber, R-Green Bay, said when a person steals gas, retailers have to pass that burden onto consumers by raising prices. One of the reasons Weber became an Assembly member was to help small-business owners. She was shocked to learn there are approximately 18,000 drive-offs per year in Wisconsin.

According to Matt Hauser, director of government affairs for the joint petroleum makers and convenience store association, 80 percent of gas stations in Wisconsin are independently owned.

“They make only pennies to the gallon, so when people drive-off it can take many paying cars to make up for the loss,” Hauser said.

Weber said she authored the bill because it helps out everyone.

“It is a no-brainer,” Weber said. “The bill will help businesses and customers, and it gives judges the latitude to revoke licenses.”

Police officers are stretched thin and often don’t have time to deal with gas thefts, according to Weber.

“When [police] get a call about gas theft, it can’t be a priority, so gas theft increases because offenders feel police officers won’t go after them,” Weber said.

Hauser said the goal of the bill is to help stop the crime in the first place. The plan is to distribute informational stickers to gas retailers that show a police officer explaining that people could get their license suspended if they drive off without paying. Gas retailers in Florida coincidentally have seen a 50 percent decrease in gas theft since they started using similar stickers several years ago.

Twenty-two other states already have stricter laws than Wisconsin. Alabama, Florida and Kansas are just a few states that will revoke the licenses of repeat offenders.

The gasoline and diesel fuel theft bill was passed by the Assembly 71-24 last Thursday. Weber believes the bill will “pass overwhelmingly” when it goes before the Senate.