What's happening
This bill expands the crime of falsely reporting an incident to include making false reports to intentionally cause a large police response.
Why it matters
Targets “swatting” incidents. The bill is a direct response to the rising trend of "swatting," where individuals make false reports to provoke a massive police or SWAT team response, often endangering innocent people and tying up emergency resources.
Expands legal accountability. By specifically including false reports intended to cause large police deployments, the law closes a loophole that previously may not have covered non-fire, non-hazardous substance related false emergencies, making prosecution easier in these cases.
Public safety and resource protection. The amendments aim to protect both the public and law enforcement officers from the dangers and disruptions caused by unnecessary, high-risk police responses, and help ensure emergency resources remain available for real crises.
Updated legal language for clarity and inclusivity. The bill modernizes existing law not only by broadening what constitutes a false report, but also by updating the language for inclusivity (e.g., replacing "he or she" with "such person"), reflecting evolving standards in legal drafting.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban False Police Swatting
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Held for consideration in codes
- 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.
Ban Fake Police Call Swarms
In Senate Committee · Codes · Sponsor Mark Walczyk
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1345
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. GRAY, BENDETT, JENSEN, NOVAKHOV, ANGELINO, DURSO, McDONOUGH, DeSTEFANO, PALMESANO, MILLER, MIKULIN, E. BROWN, BLANKEN- BUSH, GANDOLFO, BRABENEC, MANKTELOW, MORINELLO, LEMONDES, TAGUE, K. BROWN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to falsely reporting incidents in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of police officers to a particular address or location
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 240.55 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 477 of the laws of 1989, subdivisions 1 and 2 as amended by chapter 561 of the laws of 1999, subdivision 3 as renumbered by chapter 302 of the laws of 2001, and subdivision 3 as added and the closing paragraph as amended by chapter 301 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows: § 240.55 Falsely reporting an incident in the second degree.
A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident in the second degree when, knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to be false or baseless, [he or she] such person:
1. Initiates or circulates a false report or warning of an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire, explosion, or the release of a hazardous substance or in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of police officers to a particular address or location under circumstances in which it is not unlikely that public alarm or inconvenience will result;
2. Reports, by word or action, to any official or quasi-official agency or organization having the function of dealing with emergencies involving danger to life or property, an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire, explosion, or the release of a hazardous substance which did not in fact occur or does not in fact exist or an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of an incident which did not in fact
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00124-01-5
exist in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of police officers to a particular address or location; or
3. Knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to be false or baseless and under circumstances in which it is likely public alarm or inconvenience will result, [he or she] such person initiates or circulates a report or warning of an alleged occurrence or an impending occurrence of a fire, an explosion, or the release of a hazardous substance upon any private premises or such person initiates or circulates a report or warning of an alleged occurrence or an impending occurrence of an incident in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of police officers to a particular address or location.
Falsely reporting an incident in the second degree is a class E felony.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.