H.B. No. 379 amends the Penal Code regarding the offense of false caller identification information display. The bill modifies existing language by removing the requirement that the actor must have the intent to defraud or cause harm when making a call that misrepresents their identity or telephone number. It reclassifies the offense from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class B misdemeanor, unless the actor committed the offense with the intent to defraud or cause harm, in which case it remains a Class A misdemeanor.

Additionally, the bill introduces an affirmative defense to prosecution, stating that if the displayed identity or telephone number is a working number that legally belongs to the actor, their employer, a coworker, or an entity contracting the actor for lawful purposes, the actor may not be prosecuted. The changes in law will apply only to offenses committed on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025. Offenses committed prior to this date will be governed by the law in effect at that time.

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