I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2031 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for enhanced penalties 

for the transmission of misleading or inaccurate caller identification 

information with the intent to trigger a response by a law enforcement 

agency. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 27, 2015 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, and 

Mr. REICHERT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 

on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for 

enhanced penalties for the transmission of misleading 

or inaccurate caller identification information with the 

intent to trigger a response by a law enforcement agency. 

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 ‘‘Anti-Swatting Act of 

5 2015’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. TRANSMISSION OF MISLEADING OR INACCURATE 

2 CALLER ID INFORMATION WITH INTENT TO 

3 TRIGGER LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE. 

4 Section 227(e)(5) of the Communications Act of 

5 1934 (47 U.S.C. 227(e)(5)) is amended— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘Any per7 son’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in subpara8 graph (C), any person’’; and 

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

10 ‘‘(C) ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR VIOLA11 TION WITH INTENT TO TRIGGER LAW ENFORCE12 MENT RESPONSE.— 

13 ‘‘(i) CRIMINAL VIOLATION.—Any per14 son who violates this subsection with the 

15 intent to trigger a response by a law en16 forcement agency in the absence of cir17 cumstances requiring such a response 

18 shall— 

19 ‘‘(I) be fined under title 18, 

20 United States Code, or imprisoned not 

21 more than 5 years, or both; or 

22 ‘‘(II) if serious bodily injury re23 sults, be fined under title 18, United 

24 States Code, or imprisoned not more 

25 than 20 years, or both. 

26 ‘‘(ii) REIMBURSEMENT.— 

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1 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The court, in 

2 imposing a sentence on a defendant 

3 who has been convicted of an offense 

4 under clause (i), shall order the de5 fendant to reimburse any entity de6 scribed in subclause (II) that incurs 

7 expenses in making or incident to the 

8 response described in clause (i) for 

9 such expenses. 

10 ‘‘(II) ENTITY DESCRIBED.—An 

11 entity is described in this subclause if 

12 the entity is— 

13 ‘‘(aa) a law enforcement 

14 agency of the United States, a 

15 State, or a political subdivision of 

16 a State; or 

17 ‘‘(bb) an agency of the 

18 United States, a State, or a polit19 ical subdivision of a State, or a 

20 private not-for-profit organiza21 tion, that provides fire, rescue, or 

22 emergency medical services. 

23 ‘‘(III) LIABILITY.—A person or24 dered to make reimbursement under 

25 this clause shall be jointly and severmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ally liable for such expenses with each 

2 other person, if any, who is ordered to 

3 make reimbursement under this clause 

4 for the same expenses. 

5 ‘‘(IV) CIVIL JUDGMENT.—An 

6 order of reimbursement under this 

7 clause shall, for the purposes of en8 forcement, be treated as a civil judg9 ment.’’. 

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