S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8657
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              October 2, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. WALCZYK -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Codes
 
 AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to  falsely  reporting  inci-
   dents  in  an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of
   police officers to a particular address or location

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 240.55 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 477
 of the laws of 1989, subdivisions 1 and 2 as amended by chapter  561  of
 the laws of 1999, subdivision 3 as renumbered by chapter 302 of the laws
 of 2001, and subdivision 3 as added and the closing paragraph as amended
 by chapter 301 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows:
 § 240.55 Falsely reporting an incident in the second degree.
   A  person  is  guilty  of  falsely reporting an incident in the second
 degree when, knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to
 be false or baseless, he or she:
   1. Initiates or circulates a false report or  warning  of  an  alleged
 occurrence  or impending occurrence of a fire, explosion, or the release
 of a hazardous substance OR IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ABOUT THE DISPATCH OF
 A LARGE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS TO A PARTICULAR  ADDRESS  OR  LOCATION
 under  circumstances  in  which  it is not unlikely that public alarm or
 inconvenience will result;
   2. Reports, by word or action, to any official or quasi-official agen-
 cy or organization having  the  function  of  dealing  with  emergencies
 involving danger to life or property, an alleged occurrence or impending
 occurrence of a fire, explosion, or the release of a hazardous substance
 which  did  not  in  fact  occur or does not in fact exist OR AN ALLEGED
 OCCURRENCE OR IMPENDING OCCURRENCE OF AN INCIDENT WHICH DID NOT IN  FACT
 EXIST  IN  AN  ATTEMPT  TO BRING ABOUT THE DISPATCH OF A LARGE NUMBER OF
 POLICE OFFICERS TO A PARTICULAR ADDRESS OR LOCATION; or

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13716-02-9
              

 A. 8657                             2
 
   3. Knowing the information reported,  conveyed  or  circulated  to  be
 false  or  baseless and under circumstances in which it is likely public
 alarm or inconvenience will result, he or she initiates or circulates  a
 report or warning of an alleged occurrence or an impending occurrence of
 a  fire,  an explosion, or the release of a hazardous substance upon any
 private premises OR HE OR SHE INITIATES OR CIRCULATES A REPORT OR  WARN-
 ING  OF  AN ALLEGED OCCURRENCE OR AN IMPENDING OCCURRENCE OF AN INCIDENT
 IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ABOUT THE DISPATCH OF A LARGE  NUMBER  OF  POLICE
 OFFICERS TO A PARTICULAR ADDRESS OR LOCATION.
   Falsely  reporting an incident in the second degree is a class E felo-
 ny.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.