Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Wednesday that will increase penalties on people who make false 911 calls, commonly referred to as "swatting."
The governor signed the bill, HB 279, at a high school in Winter Haven. Rep. Bill Partington (R-Ormond Beach) sponsored the legislation in the House, while Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill) led the Senate bill.
"If you swat, you are going to get hit with serious criminal offenses," DeSantis said at a press conference.
Swatting calls are particularly dangerous, as police responding to a supposedly emergency incident are not aware that the call is bogus. Often targeted at a specific residence, the swatter will sometimes say a person is dangerous or someone is in danger, and a gun is present.
The false report can sometimes lead to someone being killed. It can also strain police manpower and resources away from serious emergency calls.
Under the bill, a person who makes a swatting call that leads to death will be charged with a second-degree felony. A person who makes a false report that leads to serious injury will be charged with a third-degree felony.
The bill also increases penalties for repeat offenders. Moreover, a swatter will be mandated by the court to pay restitution to public safety officials and victims for any damages that occur from the false report.
DeSantis signed a bill establishing swatting penalties in 2021.
"Swatting has no place in the State of Florida. And I think when you have swift penalties, strong penalties, and you administer them swiftly, you will deter it from happening in the future," DeSantis added.
The law will go into effect on July 1.
