Idaho Senate committee sends anti‑swatting bill to Senate floor after law‑enforcement testimony

The Idaho Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee voted to send Senate Bill 1019 to the full Senate with a due‑pass recommendation after hearing testimony from law enforcement leaders and advocates that said swatting incidents present a growing public‑safety risk.

The bill, presented by Sen. Tammy Nichols of District 10, would revise Idaho Code § 18‑333 to criminalize knowingly making false reports of violence or emergencies in public or private places and raise penalties in some cases to felony level. Nichols said the change is intended to deter false reports that prompt large emergency responses and to prevent the waste of public resources.

"The primary goals in this bill is to deter false emergency reports, protecting public and private safety, and preventing the waste of law enforcement resources," Sen. Tammy Nichols said on the record.

Supporters told the committee that swatting has increased nationwide and in Idaho. Nichols said each incident averages about $20,000 in response costs and that, through April 2024, Idaho had 21 known incidents that affected schools, churches, businesses and public infrastructure. Fred Birnbaum of the Idaho Freedom Foundation said the bill is improved from last year and emphasized that the statute as drafted requires proof that the report was made "knowing that such report is false."

"This really is a public safety bill," said Meridian Police Chief Tracy Bastoreccia, who testified on behalf of the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association. Bastoreccia described recent swatting calls that prompted rapid, armed responses and said some Idaho jurisdictions lack the staff to verify claims in real time. Rex Ingram, president of the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association and Caldwell chief of police, said many calls originate from outside Idaho and are tied to online gaming disputes.

Committee members debated enforcement and extradition. Law enforcement witnesses said elevating some swatting offenses to felonies increases options for interstate cooperation and, in appropriate cases, extradition. Several supporters and committee members also noted the bill excludes explosives and bomb threats because those are addressed elsewhere in state law.

Sen. John Foreman moved to send SB 1019 to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation; Sen. Ricks seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Supporters said the measure preserves judicial discretion by not imposing mandatory minimum sentences while giving prosecutors additional tools for serious, often interstate, cases. The committee did not make any amendments during the meeting.

The bill now proceeds to the full Senate for further consideration.