SB1144 amends Arizona Revised Statutes by expanding the criminal classification of false reporting. The bill makes it unlawful for a person to initiate a false report of a serious offense, knowing the report is false and intending to cause an emergency response by law enforcement. This violation is classified as a class 6 felony. The bill also defines "emergency response" specifically as an immediate response by a law enforcement agency and adds the federal government to the definition of "public agency."

The bill removes the requirement that the false report involve an educational or religious institution to be classified as a class 6 felony. It also removes the definition of "educational institution" and makes technical and conforming changes. The bill specifies that a person commits false reporting only by initiating (not circulating) a report of a serious (not just any criminal) offense with the intent to provoke an emergency response. The amendments adopted by the Committee of the Whole reflect these changes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 13-2907
Senate Engrossed Version: 13-2907