§ 35-44.1-2-3 — False reporting; false informing; swatting

Indiana § 35-44.1-2-3

• Jurisdiction: Indiana
• Art. 44.1: OFFENSES AGAINST GENERAL PUBLIC
• Ch. 2: Interference with General Government Operations

Text

(a) As used in this section, "consumer
product" has the meaning set forth in IC 35-45-8-1.
(b) As used in this section, "misconduct" means a violation of a
departmental rule or procedure of a law enforcement agency.
(c) A person who reports that:
(1) the person or another person has placed or intends to place an
explosive, a destructive device, or other destructive substance in
a building or transportation facility;
(2) there has been or there will be tampering with a consumer
product introduced into commerce; or
(3) there has been or will be placed or introduced a weapon of
mass destruction in a building or a place of assembly;
knowing the report to be false, commits false reporting, a Level 6
felony.
(d) A person who:
(1) gives:
(A) a false report of the commission of a crime; or
(B) false information to a law enforcement officer that relates
to the commission of a crime;
knowing the report or information to be false;
(2) gives a false alarm of fire to the fire department of a
governmental entity, knowing the alarm to be false;
(3) makes a false request for ambulance service to an ambulance
service provider, knowing the request to be false;
(4) gives a false report concerning a missing child (as defined in
IC 10-13-5-4), missing veteran at risk (as defined in IC 12-7-2-197.3), or missing endangered adult (as defined in IC 12-7-2-131.3) or gives false information to a law enforcement
officer or a governmental entity that relates to a missing child,
missing veteran at risk, or missing endangered adult knowing the
report or information to be false;
(5) makes a complaint against a law enforcement officer to the
state or municipality (as defined in IC 8-1-13-3(b)) that employs
the officer:
(A) alleging the officer engaged in misconduct while
performing the officer's duties; and
(B) knowing the complaint to be false;
(6) makes a false report of a missing person, knowing the report
or information is false;
(7) gives a false report of actions, behavior, or conditions
concerning:
(A) a septic tank soil absorption system under IC 8-1-2-125 or
IC 13-26-5-2.5; or
(B) a septic tank soil absorption system or constructed wetland
septic system under IC 36-9-23-30.1;
knowing the report or information to be false; or
(8) makes a false report that a person is dangerous (as defined in
IC 35-47-14-1) knowing the report or information to be false;
commits false informing, a Class B misdemeanor except as provided
in subsection (e).
(e) The offense described in subsection (d) is:
(1) a Class A misdemeanor if it:
(A) substantially hinders any law enforcement process,
including by causing the dispatch of one (1) or more law
enforcement officers;
(B) results in harm to another person; or
(C) is committed under subsection (d)(8);
(2) a Level 6 felony if it:
(A) is committed under subsection (d)(8); and
(B) either:
(i) substantially hinders any law enforcement process,
including by causing the dispatch of one (1) or more law
enforcement officers;
(ii) results in harm to another person; or
(iii) would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized,
frightened, intimidated, or threatened; and
(3) a Level 5 felony if it is committed under subsection (d)(8) and
results in serious bodily injury or death to another person.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.126-2012, SEC.54. Amended by P.L.292-2013, SEC.11; P.L.158-2013, SEC.503; P.L.168-2014, SEC.79; P.L.107-2016, SEC.7; P.L.142-2020, SEC.70; P.L.174-2021, SEC.75; P.L.40-2024, SEC.34; P.L.104-2024, SEC.44; P.L.119-2024, SEC.4; P.L.129-2025, SEC.1.