Congress·In Committee·H.R. 286
Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025
Public Safety: New Penalties for Fake Emergency Calls
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Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
House
Key Points
- This bill targets "swatting," which is when someone calls in a fake emergency—like a murder or a bomb threat—to trick the police into sending a SWAT team or other emergency responders to a specific person's house.
- People caught making these fake reports would face up to 5 years in prison. If the fake call leads to someone getting seriously hurt, the person could get 20 years, and if someone dies, they could face life in prison.
- Beyond prison time, the bill allows the government or victims to sue the person who made the fake call. The person would be required to pay back all the money spent on the police, fire, or rescue response.
- The goal is to stop people from using emergency services as a weapon. These fake calls put innocent people and first responders in danger while wasting taxpayer money and emergency resources.
Impact Analysis
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Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Jan 9, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Jan 9, 2025
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025
Bill NumberHR 286
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(28)D: 9R: 19
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.