Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025

House Bill

H.R. 286

119th Congress

Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 9, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Sponsor information unavailable

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Summary

This bill makes it a federal crime to intentionally send false information that causes an emergency response, commonly known as 'swatting.' It increases penalties if someone is seriously injured (up to 20 years in prison) or killed (up to life in prison) as a result, and allows victims to sue the person who made the false report to recover costs.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Introduced1/9/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

ChamberHouse

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025

This bill makes it a federal crime to intentionally send false information that causes an emergency response, commonly known as 'swatting.' It increases penalties if someone is seriously injured (up to 20 years in prison) or killed (up to life in prison) as a

Community Breakdown

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This bill makes it a federal crime to intentionally send false information that causes an emergency response, commonly known as 'swatting.' It increases penalties if someone is seriously injured (up to 20 years in prison) or killed (up to life in prison) as a result, and allows victims to sue the person who made the false report to recover costs.

Bill Number: 286
Introduced: 1/9/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025
Bill Number: 286
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced: 1/9/2025
Summary: This bill makes it a federal crime to intentionally send false information that causes an emergency response, commonly known as 'swatting.' It increases penalties if someone is seriously injured (up to 20 years in prison) or killed (up to life in prison) as a result, and allows victims to sue the pe

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill makes it a federal crime to intentionally send false information that causes an emergency response, commonly known as 'swatting.' It increases penalties if someone is seriously injured (up to 20 years in prison) or killed (up to life in prison) as a result, and allows victims to sue the person who made the false report to recover costs.

Last updated: 3/4/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

The bill criminalizes making false reports through mail, phone, or internet that are intended to trigger an emergency response from police, fire departments, or other safety agencies.
Basic violations carry up to 5 years in prison, but penalties increase to up to 20 years if someone is seriously injured and up to life in prison if someone dies.
People or agencies that respond to false reports can sue the person who made the false report to recover their expenses.
The law covers false reports about federal crimes like terrorism or bomb threats, as well as any false reports about crimes or dangers under state or federal law.
An 'emergency response' is defined as deploying personnel or equipment, ordering evacuations, or issuing public warnings by government agencies or nonprofit organizations with public safety roles.

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill primarily affects people who make false emergency reports and the victims of such hoaxes, including targeted individuals, emergency responders, and taxpayers who fund emergency services. It provides law enforcement with stronger tools to prosecute swatting cases and gives victims a way to recover costs from false alarms. Emergency response agencies would benefit from the ability to recoup expenses wasted on hoax calls.

Policy Areas

No policy areas assigned yet.

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

286, 119th Congress (2025). "Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/119-hr-286

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