S2937A-2011 Actions

• May 31, 2012: referred to codes
• May 31, 2012: DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
• May 31, 2012: PASSED SENATE
• May 30, 2012: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
• May 23, 2012: 2ND REPORT CAL.
• May 23, 2012: AMENDED 2937A
• May 22, 2012: 1ST REPORT CAL.871
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO CODES
• Feb 3, 2011: REFERRED TO CODES

S2937A-2011 Calendars

S2937A-2011 Votes

S2937A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2937A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to dissemination of false
information about a missing child

PURPOSE:
Establishes the class E felony of dissemination of false missing child
information.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one adds a new section 240-49 to the penal law, dissemination
of false missing child information.

Section two is the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
Across the United States there have been numerous false Amber Alerts
being sent out via email and text message. These false alerts prompt
concerned citizens to contact law enforcement agencies who find out
from authorities that such alerts are fake. These false alerts can
have negative effect on public awareness and diminish such awareness
when an official Amber Alert is issue by authorities. These false
alerts, which are spread by electronic means (i.e. email, text
message, Facebook, and Twitter), only diminish the effectiveness of a
authentic and genuine Amber Alert. Legislation is needed in New York
to prevent someone from disseminating false alerts to the public.
This bill would make it a class E felony for someone who knowingly and
falsely generates, by electronic or any other means, information that
would make the public believe that an official alert has been issued
on a child that has been abducted or kidnapped and for which public
funds were expended to investigate and/or locate the purported missing
child. Currently, all official Amber Alerts are initially broadcasted
through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and if people have questions
regarding the validity of an alert they can view them through the
United States Justice Department at AmberAlert.gov.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2010: S.6226 - Referred to Codes/ A.10125 - Referred to Codes

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.

S2937A-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 2937--A
 Cal. No. 871
 2011-2012 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 February 3, 2011
 
 Introduced by Sens. LANZA, O'MARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and
 when  printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes -- recommitted
 to the Committee on Codes in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8  -
 reported  favorably  from  said  committee,  ordered  to first report,
 amended on first report,  ordered  to  a  second  report  and  ordered
 reprinted, retaining its place in the order of second report
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the penal law, in relation to dissemination of false
 information about a missing child
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section  1. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.49 to
 read as follows:

 

S 240.49 DISSEMINATION OF FALSE MISSING CHILD INFORMATION.
 A PERSON IS GUILTY OF DISSEMINATION OF FALSE MISSING CHILD INFORMATION
 WHEN, KNOWING THE INFORMATION HE OR SHE REPORTED,  CONVEYED,  CIRCULATED
 OR  DISSEMINATED  IS  FALSE OR BASELESS, HE OR SHE STATES OR REPORTS, BY
 ANY MEANS, THAT A CHILD IS A MISSING CHILD AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE
 OF SECTION EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN-E OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW, AND  AS  A
 RESULT  OF SUCH REPORT, CONVEYANCE, CIRCULATION OR DISSEMINATION, PUBLIC
 FUNDS WERE EXPENDED TO INVESTIGATE AND/OR LOCATE THE  PURPORTED  MISSING
 CHILD.
 DISSEMINATION OF FALSE MISSING CHILD INFORMATION IS A CLASS E FELONY.
 

S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04609-02-2

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