Senate Bill 18 (SB 18) creates the crime of “swatting” and increases the penalty for making a shooting threat to a fourth degree felony.  
 

 Senate Bill 18 (SB 18) amends Section 30-20-16 of the criminal code in the following ways:
First, the bill creates a new crime of “swatting,” punishable as a fourth-degree felony. Swatting is making a false or misleading report to a public safety agency of an emergency or threat of violence with the intent to cause the agency to respond immediately.  
Second, the bill increases the penalty for making a shooting threat from a misdemeanor to a fourth degree felony. 
Third, the bill amends the definition of “economic harm.” A person convicted of making a bomb scare, a shooting threat, or swatting must reimburse a victim for economic harm caused by that offense.  The bill removes the language that lost wages or overhead costs were a result of the commission of the offense. 
Finally, SB 18 defines “public safety agency” as a law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency services agency or a 911 operator.   

 Currently, making a shooting threat is a misdemeanor and there is no crime of “swatting” in statute.  

 The Senate Judiciary Committee Substitute for SB 18 amends Section 30-39-1, by adding the crime of “swatting” to the crime of making a false police report.  It is unlawful for a person to make a false or misleading report to a public safety agency of an emergency or threat of violence with the intent to cause an immediate response from the agency.  The crime is a fourth degree felony.  
A “public safety agency” includes law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical services, or 911 operators.  
It is currently a misdemeanor offense in Section 30-39-1 to make a false report to a law enforcement agency alleging a violation by another person of a crime.