SB 363

Under this bill, it is a Class I felony to engage in the behavior known as

“swatting,” which means falsely reporting an emergency to a public safety entity,

knowing that no emergency exists, with the intent to elicit a response from an

emergency response team. In addition, under the bill, it is a Class H felony to engage

in swatting if the incident results in physical harm to any person.

Under current law, certain false emergency reports result in a fine or a

misdemeanor conviction, depending on the circumstances of the report. A false

report of a bomb threat or a threat to release a harmful substance is a Class I felony,

and a false terrorist threat is a Class G felony.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,

the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a

report.