SB 175 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in falsification and intimidation, further providing for the offense of false alarms to agencies of public safety.

PRINTER'S NO.    114

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 175
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY HUGHES, LANGERHOLC, TARTAGLIONE, FONTANA, BROOKS,
        ROTHMAN, PHILLIPS-HILL, SCHWANK, LAUGHLIN, COSTA AND KANE,
        JANUARY 23, 2025

     REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, JANUARY 23, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in falsification and intimidation,
 3      further providing for the offense of false alarms to agencies
 4      of public safety.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.    Section 4905(a) of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
 8   Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
 9   adding subsections to read:
10   § 4905.   False alarms to agencies of public safety.
11      (a)    Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if [he
12   knowingly causes a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be
13   transmitted to or within any organization, official or
14   volunteer, for dealing with emergencies involving danger to life
15   or property.] the person knowingly and intentionally makes or
16   causes to be made a false report of a crime or medical or other
17   emergency to a law enforcement agency, firefighter, fire
18   company, emergency medical services agency, emergency medical
 1   services provider, 911 system operator or a government employee
 2   or contractor or an employee of a contractor who is authorized
 3   to receive a report of a crime or medical or other emergency.
 4      * * *
 5      (c)   Costs.--
 6            (1)   In addition to a penalty imposed under subsection
 7      (b), the court may order a person convicted or adjudicated
 8      under this section to pay to the State or local unit of
 9      government the costs of responding to the false report,
10      including the use of law enforcement officers or fire,
11      medical or other emergency response personnel, vehicles and
12      teams.
13            (2)   The following apply to a juvenile ordered to pay
14      costs under this subsection:
15                  (i)    If the court determines that the juvenile is or
16            will be unable to pay the costs ordered, after notice to
17            the juvenile's parent or legal guardian and an
18            opportunity for the persons to be heard, the court may
19            order the parent or legal guardian having supervisory
20            responsibility of the juvenile at the time of the act
21            upon which the order is based to pay a portion of the
22            costs ordered that is outstanding. An order under this
23            subparagraph does not relieve the juvenile of the
24            juvenile's obligation to pay the costs as ordered, but
25            the amount owed is offset by an amount paid by the
26            juvenile's parent or legal guardian.
27                  (ii)   If the court orders a parent or legal guardian
28            to pay costs under subparagraph (i), the court shall take
29            into account the financial resources of the parent or
30            legal guardians and the burden that the payment of the

20250SB0175PN0114                       - 2 -
 1        cost will impose. If the court requires a parent or legal
 2        guardian to pay costs under subparagraph (i), the court
 3        shall provide for payment to be made in specified
 4        installments over a specific period of time.
 5               (iii)   A parent or legal guardian who has been
 6        ordered to pay costs under subparagraph (i) may petition
 7        the court for a modification of the amount of the costs
 8        owed or for a cancellation of an unpaid portion of the
 9        obligation. The court shall cancel all or part of the
10        obligation due if the court determines that the payment
11        of the amount due will impose a manifest hardship on the
12        parent or legal guardian.
13        (3)    If more than one unit of government incurs a cost in
14    responding to a false report, the court may order the person
15    convicted to reimburse each unit of government for the
16    expense incurred.
17        (4)    The amount ordered to be paid under this subsection
18    must be paid to the court, at a time and in a manner
19    prescribed by the court. The clerk of the court shall
20    transmit the appropriate amount to the unit or units of
21    government named in the order to receive reimbursement.
22    Unless otherwise ordered by the court, reimbursement must be
23    made immediately. This section does not prohibit a court from
24    authorizing payments to be made according to a payment
25    schedule to be completed during a specified time.
26        (5)    An order for reimbursement issued under this section
27    may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment in a civil
28    action by the district attorney of a county in which a
29    government unit entitled to reimbursement under the order is
30    located.

20250SB0175PN0114                   - 3 -
 1            (6)   For purposes of this subsection, the phrase "costs
 2      of responding" includes:
 3                  (i)    The salary or wages, including overtime pay, of
 4            a law enforcement officer or law enforcement agency for
 5            time spent responding to the false report from which the
 6            following occurred:
 7                         (A)   the conviction or adjudication of
 8                  delinquency;
 9                         (B)   the arrest of the person convicted or
10                  adjudicated delinquent;
11                         (C)   processing the person after arrest;
12                         (D)   preparing reports on the incident;
13                         (E)   investigating the incident;
14                         (F)   collecting and analyzing evidence; and
15                         (G)   preparing for and appearing at a pretrial
16                  proceeding or trial.
17                  (ii)    The salary, wages or other compensation,
18            including overtime pay, of a firefighter or emergency
19            medical services provider for time spent in responding to
20            the false report.
21                  (iii)    The salary, wages or other compensation,
22            including overtime pay, of a prosecutor for time spent
23            investigating and prosecuting the crime charged under
24            this section.
25                  (iv)    The costs of supplies expended or equipment
26            used by the law enforcement agency, fire company or
27            emergency medical services agency in responding to the
28            false report.
29      (d)   Construction.--A violation of this section occurs if the
30   communication of the false report originates in this

20250SB0175PN0114                         - 4 -
 1   Commonwealth, is intended to terminate in this Commonwealth or
 2   is intended to terminate with a person located in this
 3   Commonwealth.
 4      (e)   Jurisdiction.--In addition to the jurisdiction granted
 5   to a district attorney under 16 Pa.C.S. § 14302 (relating to
 6   duties of district attorney and entry of nolle prosequi), the
 7   Attorney General shall have the authority to investigate and to
 8   institute criminal proceedings for any violation or series of
 9   violations of this section when the violation or series of
10   violations involves more than one county of this Commonwealth or
11   another state. The authority granted to the Attorney General
12   under this subsection shall be in addition to the authority
13   conferred upon the Attorney General by the act of October 15,
14   1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act.
15   A person charged with any violation or series of violations of
16   this section by the Attorney General shall not have standing to
17   challenge the authority of the Attorney General to investigate
18   or prosecute the case, and, if a challenge is made, the
19   challenge shall be dismissed and no relief shall be made
20   available in the courts of this Commonwealth to the person
21   making the challenge.
22      (f)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
23   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
24   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
25      "911 system."   As defined in 35 Pa.C.S. § 5302 (relating to
26   definitions).
27      "Emergency medical services agency."     As defined in 35
28   Pa.C.S. § 8103 (relating to definitions).
29      "Emergency medical services provider."     As defined in 35
30   Pa.C.S. § 8103.

20250SB0175PN0114                  - 5 -
1      "Fire company."   As defined in 35 Pa.C.S. § 7802 (relating to
2   definitions).
3      "Law enforcement agency."    A law enforcement agency in this
4   Commonwealth that is the employer of a law enforcement officer.
5      "Law enforcement officer."    The term shall have the same
6   meaning as "peace officer" under section 501 (relating to
7   definitions).
8      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250SB0175PN0114                   - 6 -