S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
4370
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 4, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WALCZYK -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to falsely reporting inci-
dents in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of
police officers to a particular address or location
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 240.55 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 477
of the laws of 1989, subdivisions 1 and 2 as amended by chapter 561 of
the laws of 1999, subdivision 3 as renumbered by chapter 302 of the laws
of 2001, and subdivision 3 as added and the closing paragraph as amended
by chapter 301 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows:
§ 240.55 Falsely reporting an incident in the second degree.
A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident in the second
degree when, knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to
be false or baseless, he or she:
1. Initiates or circulates a false report or warning of an alleged
occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire, explosion, or the release
of a hazardous substance OR IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ABOUT THE DISPATCH OF
A LARGE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS TO A PARTICULAR ADDRESS OR LOCATION
under circumstances in which it is not unlikely that public alarm or
inconvenience will result;
2. Reports, by word or action, to any official or quasi-official agen-
cy or organization having the function of dealing with emergencies
involving danger to life or property, an alleged occurrence or impending
occurrence of a fire, explosion, or the release of a hazardous substance
which did not in fact occur or does not in fact exist OR AN ALLEGED
OCCURRENCE OR IMPENDING OCCURRENCE OF AN INCIDENT WHICH DID NOT IN FACT
EXIST IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ABOUT THE DISPATCH OF A LARGE NUMBER OF
POLICE OFFICERS TO A PARTICULAR ADDRESS OR LOCATION; or
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05045-01-1
A. 4370 2
3. Knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to be
false or baseless and under circumstances in which it is likely public
alarm or inconvenience will result, he or she initiates or circulates a
report or warning of an alleged occurrence or an impending occurrence of
a fire, an explosion, or the release of a hazardous substance upon any
private premises OR HE OR SHE INITIATES OR CIRCULATES A REPORT OR WARN-
ING OF AN ALLEGED OCCURRENCE OR AN IMPENDING OCCURRENCE OF AN INCIDENT
IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ABOUT THE DISPATCH OF A LARGE NUMBER OF POLICE
OFFICERS TO A PARTICULAR ADDRESS OR LOCATION.
Falsely reporting an incident in the second degree is a class E felo-
ny.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.