Stop Swatting in Our Schools Act of 2016

Bill: 114-hr-4804
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18]
Introduced: 2016-03-17
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses

Crimes against property

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Department of Justice

Executive agency funding and structure

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Firearms and explosives

Fires

Fraud offenses and financial crimes

Terrorism

Violent crime
Latest action: action_date: 2016-04-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-03-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Stop Swatting in Our Schools Act of 2016</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Federal Bureau of Investigation to create a task force to combat swatting.</p> <p>It defines swatting as an activity that uses the mail, telephone, or another instrument of interstate or foreign commerce to willfully make a threat or maliciously and knowingly convey false information with the intent to trigger an emergency law enforcement response. </p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4804 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 17, 2016 Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To provide for a task force within the FBI to deal with certain malicious and false threats in order made to obtain a response by law enforcement, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop Swatting in Our Schools Act of 2016 . 2. Task force to prevent swatting (a) Creation The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall create a Task Force to combat swatting by investigating and referring for prosecution Federal offenses involved in this activity. (b) Definition of swatting The term swatting means activity of individuals who through the use of the mail, telephone, or other instrument of interstate or foreign commerce, or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, willfully makes any threat, or maliciously conveys false information knowing the same to be false, concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made, or to be made, to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property by means of fire or an explosive with the intent to trigger a response by a law enforcement agency in the absence of circumstances requiring such a response. (c) Swatting considered domestic terrorism For the purposes of its activities, the Task Force created under this section shall deem swatting to be a form of domestic terrorism. (d) Coordination with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces The task force created under this section shall coordinate its activities with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces. (e) Authorization There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary.