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S1418................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
EMERGENCY SERVICES - Amends existing law to prohibit calling any law
enforcement or emergency services dispatcher for the purpose of making a
false alarm or reporting false information.
02/09 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/10 Rpt prt - to Jud
02/17 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/18 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/20 3rd rdg - PASSED - 34-0-1
AYES--Andreason, Boatright, Branch, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron,
Crow, Danielson, Darrington, Deide, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes, Hansen,
Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, King, Lee, McLaughlin, Noh, Parry,
Richardson, Riggs, Risch, Sandy, Schroeder, Sorensen, Stennett,
Sweeney, Thorne, Wheeler, Whitworth
NAYS--None
Absent and excused--Twiggs
Floor Sponsor - Boatright
Title apvd - to House
02/23 House intro - 1st rdg - to Jud
S1418|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO |||| Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session - 1998IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1418 BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO FALSE ALARMS; AMENDING SECTION 18-6711A, IDAHO CODE, TO PROHIBIT 3 CALLING ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT OR EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCHER FOR THE PUR- 4 POSE OF MAKING A FALSE ALARM OR REPORTING FALSE INFORMATION. 5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 6 SECTION 1. That Section 18-6711A, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 7 amended to read as follows: 8 18-6711A. FALSE ALARMS -- COMPLAINTS -- REPORTS -- PENALTIES -- CIVIL 9 DAMAGES. (a) Any person calling the number "911" or any law enforcement 10 or emergency services dispatcher for the purpose of making a false 11 alarm or complaint and reporting false information which could or does result 12 in the emergency response of any firefighting, police, medical or other emer- 13 gency services shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof 14 shall be sentenced to a fine of not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) or 15 to a term of not to exceed one (1) year in the county jail, or to both such 16 fine and imprisonment. 17 (b) In addition to the criminal penalties for violation of the provisions 18 of this section, civil damages may be recovered from the person so convicted 19 in an amount of three (3) times the amount necessary to compensate or reim- 20 burse the complainant for costs incurred, losses sustained or other damages 21 suffered in receiving, acting upon or responding to the false alarm, complaint 22 or report. If the person so convicted is under the age of eighteen (18) years 23 of age, the parent or legal guardian having legal custody of the minor may be 24 jointly and severally liable with the minor for such civil damages as are 25 imposed. Recovery from the parents or legal guardian shall not be limited by 26 any other provision of law which limits the liability of a parent or legal 27 guardian for the tortious or criminal conduct of a minor. A parent or guardian 28 not having legal custody of the minor shall not be liable for civil damages 29 imposed hereunder.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS07807
This amendment of 18-6711A, False Alarms, expands the protection of the statute. The current
statute protects only "911 " services from persons calling with the purpose of making a false
alarm or complaint. The amendment would expand this protection to calls to any law
enforcement dispatch or emergency services, instead of just "911 ": calls.
FISCAL NOTE
The fiscal impact of this amendment would be minimal.
Various jurisdictions may prosecute a few more cases under the expanded scope of the statute.
However, the statute will also have some deterrent effect to reduce abuses of emergency
response systems. Further, the statute allows reimbursement to the responding agency for costs
associated with dispatching the emergency services.
CONTACT:
Kevin Maloney
Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association
208-364-2100
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/ FISCAL NOTE
Bill No S1418