Bill Text: PA SB975 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Further providing for false alarms to agencies of public safety.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-06-22 - Referred to JUDICIARY [SB975 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SB975-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1189
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 975 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY O'PAKE, HUGHES, TARTAGLIONE, RAFFERTY, FONTANA, WAUGH, BOSCOLA, LOGAN AND STACK, JUNE 22, 2009
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, JUNE 22, 2009
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, further providing for false alarms to
agencies of public safety.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 4905 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 4905. False alarms to agencies of public safety.
(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he
knowingly causes a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be
transmitted to or within any organization[, official or
volunteer, for dealing with] that is directed or authorized by
law to respond to emergencies involving danger to life or
property.
(b) Grading.--An offense under this section is a misdemeanor
of the first degree unless [the transmission of the] a person
knowingly causes the transmission of a false Amber Alert, or
knowingly causes the transmission of a false alarm of fire or
other emergency [occurs] during a declared state of emergency
[and the false alarm] that causes the resources of [the
organization] an organization directed or authorized by law to
respond to emergencies involving danger to life or property to
be diverted from dealing with the declared state of emergency,
in which case the offense is a felony of the third degree.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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