An Act To Criminalize Calls Made to Emergency Services Based on Racial Profiling
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1607
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: TEPLER
Amends: 14 MRSA §7488, 17-A MRSA §509

Legislative Document
No. 1607
H.P. 1196
House of Representatives, April 27, 2021
An Act To Criminalize Calls Made to Emergency Services Based on 
Racial Profiling
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative TEPLER of Topsham.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  14 MRSA §7488 is enacted to read:
§7488.  Private right of action for race-based false public alarm or report
A plaintiff may bring a private small claims action against a defendant who knowingly 
gives or causes to be given false information about the plaintiff to a law enforcement 
officer, a member of a firefighting agency, including a volunteer fire department, or a 
public safety answering point as defined in Title 25, section 2921, subsection 7 or any other 
person knowing that the other person is likely to communicate the information to a law 
enforcement officer, a member of a firefighting agency or a public safety answering point, 
due to race-based profiling of the plaintiff.  The court may award up to $250 in damages to 
a plaintiff who prevails in an action brought under this section.  For purposes of this section, 
"race-based profiling" means to take an action or cause an action to happen against another 
person because of the race, color, ancestry or national origin of the other person.
Sec. 2.  17-A MRSA §509, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1977, c. 510, §56, is further 
amended to read:
1.   A person is guilty of false public alarm or report if:
A.  He The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to any law 
enforcement officer with the intent of inducing such officer to believe that a crime has 
been committed or that another has committed a crime, knowing the information to be 
false; or
B.  He The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to any law 
enforcement officer, member of a fire fighting firefighting agency, including a 
volunteer fire department, or any other person knowing that such other is likely to 
communicate the information to a law enforcement officer or member of a fire fighting 
firefighting agency, concerning a fire, explosive or other similar substance which that 
is capable of endangering the safety of persons, knowing that such information is false, 
or knowing that he the person has no information relating to the fire, explosive or other 
similar substance.;
C.  He The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information concerning 
an emergency to any ambulance service, or to any government agency or public utility 
that deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property, with the intent of 
inducing such service, agency or utility to respond to the reported emergency, knowing 
such information to be false.; or
D.  The person knowingly gives or causes to be given false information about another 
person to a law enforcement officer, a member of a firefighting agency, including a 
volunteer fire department, or a public safety answering point as defined in Title 25, 
section 2921, subsection 7 or any other person knowing that the other person is likely 
to communicate the information to a law enforcement officer, a member of a 
firefighting agency or a public safety answering point, due to race-based profiling of 
the person about whom the false information was given.  For purposes of this 
paragraph, "race-based profiling" means to take an action or cause an action to happen 
against another person because of the race, color, ancestry or national origin of the 
other person.
SUMMARY
This bill adds to the crime of false public alarm or report knowingly giving or causing 
to be given false information about another person to a law enforcement officer, a member 
of a firefighting agency, including a volunteer fire department, or a public safety answering 
point or any other person knowing that the other person is likely to communicate the 
information to a law enforcement officer, a member of a firefighting agency or a public 
safety answering point, due to race-based profiling of the person about whom the false 
information was given.  The bill also creates a private right of action in small claims court 
with damages up to $250 for a race-based false public alarm or report.  "Race-based 
profiling" is defined as taking an action or causing an action to happen against another 
person because of the race, color, ancestry or national origin of the other person.