| Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research |
BILL ANALYSIS |
| Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Committee | |
SSB 5929
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in
their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a
statement of legislative intent.
Brief Description: Making a false or misleading material statement that results in an Amber alert.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Senator Delvin).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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Hearing Date: 2/20/08
Staff: Jim Morishima (786-7191).
Background:
America's Missing Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alerts
The AMBER alert system is a system in which broadcasters, cable systems, and law enforcement
agencies voluntarily cooperate to assist in finding abducted children. An investigating law
enforcement agency may initiate an AMBER alert if certain conditions are met; e.g., the agency
must know the child is abducted, the agency must believe the child is in danger of death or
serious bodily injury, there must be enough descriptive data available to believe that an AMBER
alert will help recover the child, and the incident must be reported to and investigated by a law
enforcement agency. A local agency that has its own AMBER alert plan may initiate an
AMBER alert on its own. A local agency that does not have its own AMBER alert plan must
initiate the alert through the Washington State Patrol.
Crimes Relating to Making False Statements to Public Servants
A person who knowingly makes a false or misleading material statement to a public servant is
guilty of a gross misdemeanor. For purposes of this crime, "material statement" means a
statement reasonably likely to be relied upon by a public servant in the discharge of his or her
official powers or duties.
A person is guilty of False Reporting if he or she, knowing that the information is false, initiates
a false report or warning of an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire, explosion,
crime, catastrophe, or emergency knowing that the false report is likely to cause evacuation of a
building, place of assembly, or transportation facility, or to cause public inconvenience or alarm.
False Reporting is a gross misdemeanor.
Summary of Bill:
A person is guilty of an unranked class C felony if he or she, with the intent to cause the
activation of the AMBER Alert system, knowingly makes a false or misleading material
statement to a public servant that a child has been abducted and which statement causes the
activation of the AMBER Alert system. For purposes of this crime, "material statement" means
a statement reasonably likely to be relied upon by a public servant in the discharge of his or her
official powers or duties.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available on original bill.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.