In the near future we will be reintroducing Senate Bill 812, Printer’s Number 1777 from the 2023 - 2024 session, which would increase penalties for making false reports to public safety agencies to address “Swatting.”
 
Over the last several years, the number of swatting incidents has increased dramatically.  In May of 2023, school districts across the nation received calls about potential active-shooters or bomb threats in the school.  Several Pennsylvania districts received these apparently computer-generated calls about an active shooter situation in their district which prompted law enforcement and other emergency services to respond to each situation.  This caused many parents unnecessary fear and wasted local emergency response resources.  As a result of these troubling incidents, we will be reintroducing swatting legislation that Senator Hughes previously sponsored.

Swatting involves making a fake 911 emergency call in order to draw a response from law enforcement, usually a SWAT team, or emergency service personnel. According to the FBI, these cases are often sophisticated schemes where the caller manipulates computer and phone equipment to make calls to 911 operators and uses “spoofing technology” to make it look like the calls are coming from the actual victims.

Our bill would amend 18 Pa.C.S.  4905 (relating to false alarms to agencies of public safety) to make it clear that the offense involves making a knowingly and intentional false report of a crime or medical or other emergency.
 
In addition, courts would be authorized to order a person convicted or adjudicated to pay the state or local government unit’s costs of responding to the false report, including the use of police, fire, medical or other emergency response personnel, vehicles and teams. Costs would include the costs of salaries, wages or other compensation of any responder for time spent responding to the false report, for prosecuting the offender, and for costs of supplies and equipment used in responding to the false report. Similar authority to impose such costs exists in 18 Pa.C.S.  2715 (relating to threat to use weapons of mass destruction).

Responding to fake 911 calls not only costs communities’ money, it puts residents in danger by taking law enforcement and emergency service personnel away from real emergencies. Police, firefighters and other first responders are also put in danger in rushing to the scene and through potential altercations with unsuspecting residents who may try to defend themselves. We believe strengthening the provisions of our law will provide greater protection to our communities by creating a greater deterrent for those who may seek to engage in this activity.
 
Last session, this legislation received unanimous bipartisan support from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Please join us in sponsoring this legislation.
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0114: 18-4905(a)