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Panel narrows false-report proposal to target vexatious reports and advances the bill
Summary
The committee adopted an amendment to House Bill 1194 to restrict enforcement to "vexatious" repeated false reports made about another person, then voted to give the bill a do-pass recommendation as amended.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on March 12 amended and advanced House Bill 1194, a measure aimed at addressing repeated false complaints to law enforcement. Committee members accepted a sponsor amendment that narrows the bill to target "vexatious" reports — typically defined in case law as repeated filings — and that specifies the false reports be made "to another individual."
Senator Castaneda moved the wording amendment to focus the statute on repeated, vexatious behavior rather than isolated incidents such as a person giving a false name during a traffic stop. The amendment was intended to address law-enforcement concerns that ordinary investigative encounters or single false statements should not trigger prosecution or administrative action. The committee approved the amendment by voice vote.
The committee then voted to report the bill do-pass as amended. Senator Cory moved the do-pass recommendation; the roll-call vote recorded "Aye" from a majority of committee members including Senators Brownberger, Cory, Luke, Bridal, Paulson, Castaneda and Chair Larson. The chair announced the motion carried. Testimony referenced concerns from state law-enforcement and state prosecutors about operational burdens; the sponsor said the narrower "vexatious" language responds to those concerns.
The committee record shows the sponsor will work with law-enforcement and state's attorneys to ensure the statutory definition aligns with prosecutorial practice before the bill proceeds further.
