Judiciary Committee sends anti-swatting bill SB 1019 to senate floor after law-enforcement support

The Idaho Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee voted to send Senate Bill 1019, an anti-swatting measure, to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation after testimony from the bill sponsor and law-enforcement representatives.

Sponsor Sen. Tammy Nichols (R-District 10) described SB 1019 as a modernization of existing false-reporting law to address ‘‘swatting’’—false emergency reports that produce a large-scale police or emergency response. She told the committee the bill revises Idaho Code section 18-333 to explicitly criminalize knowingly making false reports of violence or emergencies in public or private places and to provide definitions and penalties calibrated to the severity of the offense. Nichols said the proposal does not create a new state expenditure and that the measure is intended to deter misuse of emergency systems and protect public safety.

Nichols told the committee that each swatting incident ‘‘averages at about $20,000’’ in response costs and that, she said, Idaho had "21 known incidents" from 2023 through April 2024 that affected schools, churches, businesses and even the state capitol. She also said the FBI has launched national tracking and more states have adopted specific anti-swatting measures.

Supporters who testified included Fred Birnbaum of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and two law-enforcement officials representing the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association. Meridian Chief Tracy Bastoreccia said swatting is a recurring, realistic threat: calls often present as live violent incidents, prompt officers to run lights-and-sirens responses and put both officers and the public at risk. ‘‘These aren’t calls ... they come in as if they are occurring in real time,’’ Bastoreccia said, recounting statewide incidents that prompted school shutdowns and large deployments.

Caldwell Chief Rex Ingram, president of the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association, said many swatting incidents appear to originate out of state and can be tied to online gaming conflicts. Ingram supported making the offense a felony in some cases to improve the ability to seek extradition and hold out-of-state actors accountable. Fred Birnbaum, testifying for the Idaho Freedom Foundation, said the bill’s language preserves judicial discretion by avoiding mandatory minimum sentences while still penalizing knowing false reports.

Senators asked logistical and drafting questions. Senator Ricks asked about the bill’s exclusion for ‘‘explosives’’ referenced in the draft; Nichols said bomb threats and explosives are already handled by separate statute and definitions. Committee members discussed juveniles as potential perpetrators; chiefs said juveniles do commit some swatting incidents and that law enforcement conducts prevention and education in schools, but that many calls originate from elsewhere.

Senator Foreman moved to send SB 1019 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; Senator Ricks seconded. The motion carried by voice vote.