2020 House Bill 5483

Distinguish real terrorist threats from spoofs

Introduced in the House

Feb. 11, 2020

Introduced by Rep. John Reilly (R-46)

To revise a law that makes it a crime to falsely report a terrorist threat by adding provisions that distinguish a real threat from statements that are not real threats or are made in jest. The bill would require that “the context of the statement in its entirety” must be assessed in determining whether it would “cause a reasonable person to conclude that it was meant to threaten” a listener/reader, or others.

Referred to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security