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Bill

HF 559

Restitution for public agencies and victims affected by the reporting of fictitious emergency provided.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Duane Quam

Creates restitution requirements for individuals who file false emergency reports, allowing public agencies and victims to recover costs and damages from perpetrators.

Introduction and first reading, referred to Public Safety Finance and Policy
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Bill Summary · HF 559

Legislative bill overview

HF 559 establishes a mechanism for public agencies and crime victims to seek restitution from individuals who file false emergency reports (such as swatting incidents). The bill creates legal remedies for the costs and damages incurred by emergency responders and affected victims when someone deliberately reports a fictitious emergency.

Why is this important

False emergency reports waste significant public resources, endanger first responders, and can cause severe trauma to victims targeted by swatting or similar hoaxes. This bill addresses a growing problem where individuals maliciously trigger emergency responses, sometimes with life-threatening consequences, while shifting accountability to the perpetrators rather than taxpayers.

Potential points of contention

  • Determining appropriate restitution amounts - Defining what costs qualify (dispatch, personnel time, equipment) and setting fair penalty levels without creating excessive burdens on defendants
  • Prosecutorial discretion vs. mandatory requirements - Whether restitution should be automatic in convictions or left to prosecutor/judge discretion in individual cases
  • Impact on defendants with limited means - Questions about how restitution obligations affect individuals unable to pay, and whether this creates debt cycles or incarceration issues

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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