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Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to codes
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 57–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- Amended 2937a
- 1st report cal.871
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Establishes the class E felony of dissemination of false missing child information
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Matthew Titone
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S2937A
Title of bill
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to dissemination of false information about a missing child
Purpose
Establishes the class E felony of dissemination of false missing child information.
Summary of provisions
Section one adds a new section 240-49 to the penal law, dissemination of false missing child information.
Section two is the effective date.
Justification
Across the United States there have been numerous false Amber Alerts being sent out via email and text message. These false alerts prompt concerned citizens to contact law enforcement agencies who find out from authorities that such alerts are fake. These false alerts can have negative effect on public awareness and diminish such awareness when an official Amber Alert is issue by authorities. These false alerts, which are spread by electronic means (i.e. email, text message, Facebook, and Twitter), only diminish the effectiveness of a authentic and genuine Amber Alert. Legislation is needed in New York to prevent someone from disseminating false alerts to the public. This bill would make it a class E felony for someone who knowingly and falsely generates, by electronic or any other means, information that would make the public believe that an official alert has been issued on a child that has been abducted or kidnapped and for which public funds were expended to investigate and/or locate the purported missing child. Currently, all official Amber Alerts are initially broadcasted through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and if people have questions regarding the validity of an alert they can view them through the United States Justice Department at AmberAlert.gov.
Legislative history
2010: S.6226 - Referred to Codes/ A.10125 - Referred to Codes
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.