Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Swatting Won't be Accepted or Tolerated Act of 2015” or the “SWAT Act”.
Swatting Won't be Accepted or Tolerated Act of 2015
A BILL
To increase the penalties for fraudulent 9–1–1 calls that result in an emergency response from law enforcement agencies, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Increased penalties
Part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in section 1001—
in subsection (a), in the flush text following paragraph (3), by adding at the end the following: “If the offense involves a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation, whether written or oral, to a Federal law enforcement agency that causes an emergency Federal law enforcement response, the term of imprisonment shall be not more than 8 years.”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(d) Reimbursement
“(1) In general—The court, in imposing a sentence on a defendant who has been convicted of an offense under subsection (a) that involves a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation, whether written or oral, to a Federal law enforcement agency that causes an emergency Federal law enforcement response, shall order the defendant to reimburse any Federal, State, or local government incurring expenses incident to any law enforcement emergency or investigative response to that conduct, for those expenses up to $10,000.
“(2) Liability—A person ordered to make reimbursement under this subsection shall be jointly and severally liable for such expenses with each other person, if any, who is ordered to make reimbursement under this subsection for the same expenses.
“(3) Civil judgment—An order of reimbursement under this subsection shall, for the purposes of enforcement, be treated as a civil judgment.”
in section 1038(c)(1), by—
striking “state or local” and inserting “Federal, State, or local”; and
striking “fire or rescue service” and inserting “fire, rescue, or law enforcement service”.