A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year by Tennessee U.S. Representative David Kustoff (R-TN-08) would seek to end swatting attempts by amending the U.S. Code to penalize false communications that cause emergency responses.
The bill, filed as H. R. 286, is being called the Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025.
As swatting incidents rise across the country, I'm glad to lead a bipartisan group in introducing the Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act.
This bill will hold perpetrators accountable, support law enforcement, and deter future incidents.https://t.co/IGnfPPt4FO
— Rep. David Kustoff (@RepDavidKustoff) January 9, 2025
As introduced, the bill would expand the federal criminal hoax statute (18 U.S. Code § 1038) to specifically prohibit “swatting” hoaxes through which false information about a crime is reported to law enforcement with the intent of eliciting an emergency response at a target address.
Penalties for swatting under the legislation would include up to 20 years in prison if an individual is seriously hurt because of a swatting attack, according to its text:
Whoever engages in any conduct with intent to convey false or misleading information…under circumstances where such information may reasonably be expected to cause an emergency response and the information indicates that conduct has taken, is taking, or will take place that constitutes a crime under State or Federal law or endangers public health or safety or the health or safety of any person,
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both. If serious bodily injury results, the defendant shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results, the defendant shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any number of years up to life, or both.
Upon introduction, Kustoff’s bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary and has since been sponsored by nine of his colleagues, five of whom are Democratic members.
The legislation has also been endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Sheriffs’ Association.
Last week, multiple conservative journalists and influencers reported that their homes and relatives’ homes were the targets of swatting calls.
.@FBIDirectorKash is 100% right. Swatters have attempted attacks on my family’s home, members of the Trump administration, and so many others—it has to stop. I introduced the Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act to crack down on these attempts. https://t.co/0RaogztYOy
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) March 14, 2025
Amid the incidents, FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the situation and that his team was “taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.”
U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), who has fallen victim to swatting calls in the past and is leading the companion bill to Kustoff’s Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act in the Senate, also revived calls for Congress to pass the bill amid the rise in swatting attempts targeting conservatives.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “David Kustoff” by David Kustoff.
