Iowa House lawmakers advance stiffer punishments for ‘swatting’ calls

DES MOINES — Knowingly reporting fake information about serious crimes to law enforcement agencies in Iowa would be a felony under legislation advanced Wednesday in the Iowa House.

Last March, at least 30 Iowa schools received phone calls warning of school shootings. State public safety officials quickly determined they were fake.

Josie Wagler, legislative liaison with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said there were 39 “swatting” incidents in the 2022-2023 school year in Iowa, compared with four reported incidents the year before.

Later Wednesday, several Eastern Iowa schools -- including in Marion, West Branch and Cascade -- all reported threats that turned out to be hoaxes.

“Swatting” refers to individuals making a false report of a serious crime, such as a hostage situation, a bomb threat or active shooter, with the goal of drawing out a large law enforcement response and create chaos and fear at the location.

“It’s a problem nationwide,” Wagler told lawmakers. So much so that the FBI created a national database to track reports of “swatting” across the country.

“Our purpose really is to try to deter bad actors from tying up emergency resources and trying to keep the public and emergency response agencies safe,” Wagler said.

In Iowa, knowingly reporting false information about a crime to law enforcement officials is a misdemeanor. The Iowa Department of Public Safety is proposing to increase that penalty to a felony if it involves false reports of a forcible felony — such as murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery and arson — someone brandishing a dangerous weapon, an act of terrorism or a bomb threat.

Under House Study Bill 545, knowingly reporting to law enforcement officials false information about certain serious crimes would be a Class D felony, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine between $1,025 and $10,245. If the false report results in another person’s serious injury or death, the penalty increases to a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine between $1,370 and $13,660.

In its letter accompanying the proposal, the public safety department says Wisconsin, Ohio and New York recently increased their penalties for swatting.

Registered as in support of the bills are the Iowa League of Cities, Iowa Emergency Management Association, Iowa Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association and the Iowa Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, which represents Iowa’s 911 dispatchers.

“Our folks are already really busy and overburdened with calls, so let’s make sure those calls are actual emergencies” and not hoaxes, said Nick Laning, a lobbyist representing the Iowa Emergency Management Association and 911 dispatchers association.

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Eric Goranson, a lobbyist representing the Iowa Emergency Medical Services Association, questioned how the bill would address people who make unnecessary but not dangerous or illegal calls to 911.

State Rep. Brian Meyer, D-Des Moines, said he initially was concerned that children who prank call 911, or adults with mental illness who make false reports, could be charged with a felony. But he noted the bill makes a distinction based on the seriousness of the falsely reported criminal act. Reporting false information about a crime to law enforcement officials not considered to be “swatting” would a remain a misdemeanor.

“I’m very supportive of the concept, and I just want to make sure we don’t get people caught up in the bow wave of doing something stupid, versus being very malicious and intentional about it, which I think this bill addresses,” Meyer said. “But I still think it’s going to be very difficult to find these people, but I’m very supportive of the concept.”

Swatting threats typically are made anonymously or through false identities.

Meyer and state Reps. Zach Dieken, R-Granville and Dean Fisher, R-Montour, signed off on the bill, moving it forward to the House Public Safety Committee.

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