APPROVED CHAPTER
JULY 26, 2023 430
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE
_____
S.P. 186 - L.D. 405
An Act Regarding False Public Alarms or Reports and Aggravated False
Public Alarms or Reports
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §509, as amended by PL 1977, c. 510, §56, is further amended
to read:
§509. False public alarm or report; aggravated false public alarm or report
1. A person is guilty of false public alarm or report if:
A. He The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to any a
law enforcement officer, an emergency communications center or the enhanced 9-1-1
services established in Title 25, chapter 352 with the intent of inducing such the officer,
the emergency communications center or any other emergency services personnel to
believe that a crime has been committed or that another has committed a crime,
knowing the information to be false; or
B. He The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to any a
law enforcement officer, a member of a fire fighting firefighting agency, including a
volunteer fire department, an emergency communications center, the enhanced 9-1-1
services established in Title 25, chapter 352 or any other person knowing that such the
other person is likely to communicate the information to a law enforcement officer or,
a member of a fire fighting firefighting agency, an emergency communications center
or any other emergency services personnel concerning a fire, explosive or other similar
substance which that is capable of endangering the safety of persons, knowing that such
the information is false, or knowing that he the person has no information relating to
the fire, explosive or other similar substance.; or
C. He The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information concerning
an emergency to any an ambulance service, an emergency communications center, the
enhanced 9-1-1 services established in Title 25, chapter 352, any other emergency
services personnel or to any a government agency or public utility that deals with
emergencies involving danger to life or property, with the intent of inducing such the
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 service, personnel, agency, center or utility to respond to the reported emergency,
knowing such the information to be false.
A violation of this subsection is a Class D crime.
For the purposes of this subsection, "emergency communications center" means a state,
county or municipal government entity that receives calls by 9-1-1, business lines, radio or
other methods requesting public service or emergency response from public safety agencies
and, as appropriate, dispatches requests to public safety agencies and assists in coordinating
the response between agencies and other specialized professionals.
2. False public alarm is a Class D crime.
3. A person is guilty of aggravated false public alarm or report if the person violates
subsection 1 and the violation causes the evacuation, shutdown or lockdown of a building,
school, public square or park, place of assembly or public transportation facility.
A violation of this subsection is a Class C crime.
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §1501, sub-§8, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 170, §1, is
amended to read:
C. The discriminatory motive of the person in making a false public alarm or report or
an aggravated false public alarm in violation of section 509, subsection 1; and
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 405, SP 186: 17-A.509, 17-A.1501
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 430: 17-A.509, 17-A.1501