H.R. 156 · 116th Congress
Anti-Swatting Act of 2019
- Stage
- In committee
- Sponsor
- Eliot Engel
- Introduced
- 2019-01-03
- Latest action
- 2019-03-04 · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Summary
Anti-Swatting Act of 2019
This bill increases penalties for the transmission of misleading or inaccurate caller-identification information with the intent to trigger an emergency response by (1) a government law-enforcement agency; (2) a government agency or nonprofit organization that provides fire, rescue, or emergency medical services; or (3) a public-safety answering point (i.e., a facility that has been designated to receive emergency calls and route them to emergency service personnel). Specifically, the bill provides for imprisonment, the imposition of additional criminal fines, or both.
The court shall order a defendant who has been convicted of such an offense to reimburse any such entity for expenses incurred in responding to such conduct. The bill treats such an order of reimbursement as a civil judgment.