I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6055 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for 

communicating threats that target schools. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 25, 2023 

Mr. LAWLER (for himself, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. BALDERSON, Mrs. MILLERMEEKS, and Mr. D’ESPOSITO) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties 

for communicating threats that target schools. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Schools Want Account5 ability for Threats Act’’ or the ‘‘SWAT Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. THREATS INVOLVING FIRE OR EXPLOSIVES. 

7 Section 844(e) of title 18, United States Code, is 

8 amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘(e)’’ and inserting ‘‘(e)(1)’’; 

10 and 


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1 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(2) Whoever violates paragraph (1) by making a 

3 threat against, or maliciously conveying false information 

4 with respect to, a public, private, or religious school that 

5 provides early childhood, elementary, secondary, postsec6 ondary, or career and technical education, as determined 

7 under State law, shall be imprisoned for not more than 

8 20 years or fined under this title, or both.’’. 

9 SEC. 3. THREATS THROUGH THE MAIL OR INTERSTATE 

10 COMMUNICATIONS. 

11 Chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amend12 ed— 

13 (1) in section 875 by adding at the end the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘(e) Whoever violates any other provision of this sec16 tion by making a threat against a public, private, or reli17 gious school that provides early childhood, elementary, 

18 secondary, postsecondary, or career and technical edu19 cation, as determined under State law, shall be imprisoned 

20 for not more than 20 years or fined under this title, or 

21 both.’’; and 

22 (2) in section 876 by adding at the end the fol23 lowing: 

24 ‘‘(e) Whoever violates any other provision of this sec25 tion by making a threat against a public, private, or reliVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:37 Oct 26, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6055.IH H6055

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1 gious school that provides early childhood, elementary, 

2 secondary, postsecondary, or career and technical edu3 cation, as determined under State law, shall be imprisoned 

4 for not more than 20 years or fined under this title, or 

5 both.’’. 

6 SEC. 4. FALSE INFORMATION AND HOAXES. 

7 Section 1038(a)(1) of title 18, United States Code, 

8 is amended— 

9 (1) in subparagraph (B) by striking ‘‘and’’; 

10 (2) in subparagraph (C) by striking the period 

11 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

12 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(D) if the information indicates that the 

14 activity has taken, is taking, or will take place 

15 in a public, private, or religious school that pro16 vides early childhood, elementary, secondary, 

17 postsecondary, or career and technical edu18 cation, as determined under State law, be fined 

19 under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 

20 years, or both.’’. 

Æ 


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