STORAGE NAME: h0279c.EIS
DATE: 3/20/2025
1
FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BILL ANALYSIS
This bill analysis was prepared by nonpartisan committee staff and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
BILL #: CS/HB 279
TITLE: Misuse of Emergency Communications Systems
SPONSOR(S): Partington
COMPANION BILL: SB 278 (Wright)
LINKED BILLS: None
RELATED BILLS: None
Committee References
Criminal Justice
17 Y, 0 N, As CS
Economic Infrastructure
17 Y, 0 N
Judiciary
SUMMARY
Effect of the Bill:
CS/HB 279 revises offenses related to misusing the 911 system and requires a person who is convicted of misusing
the 911 system to pay restitution for the cost of the emergency response. The bill:
Creates a third degree felony if a person makes a false report of an emergency using the 911 system and the
resulting emergency response results in great bodily harm, permanent disfigurement, or permanent injury.
Creates a second degree felony if a person makes a false report of an emergency using the 911 system and
the resulting emergency response results in death to any person.
Deletes an enhanced penalty if a person misuses the 911 system and receives a service valued at $100 or
greater.
Requires a court to order a person convicted of misusing the 911 system to pay restitution to a responding
public safety agency and any other victim who suffers damage or injury, including full payment for any
costs incurred by a responding public safety agency.
Fiscal or Economic Impact:
The bill may have an indeterminate positive prison bed impact by creating new felony offenses for misusing the
911 system which result in specified injury or death, which could lead to increased prison admissions. The bill
requires a court to order a person who is convicted of misusing the 911 system to pay restitution to any responding
public safety agency and any other victim who suffers damage or injury. To the extent that public safety agencies
are expending funds by responding to emergency calls resulting from misuse of the 911 system, there may be an
indeterminate positive fiscal impact on such agencies that would be eligible to receive restitution under the bill.
JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
ANALYSIS
EFFECT OF THE BILL:
Misusing the 911 System
The bill provides enhanced penalties if the public safety agency response to a false report of an emergency that was
made using the 911 system results in specified bodily injury or death. Under the bill, a person who misuses the 911
system by making a false report or complaint or by reporting false information that could lead to an emergency
response commits a:
Third degree felony,
1 if the emergency response by a public safety agency results in great bodily harm,
permanent disfigurement, or permanent disability as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of the
emergency response.
Second degree felony,
2 if the emergency response by a public safety agency results in the death of any
person as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of the emergency response. (Section 1)
1 A third degree felony is punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. Ss. 775.082, 775.083, or 775.084, F.S.
2 A second degree felony is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Ss. 775.082, 775.083, or 775.084, F.S. JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
2
The third degree felony offense created by the bill is ranked as a Level 2 offense on the offense severity ranking
chart (OSRC). The second degree felony offense created by the bill is ranked as a Level 5 offense on the OSRC.
(Section 2)
The bill deletes an enhanced penalty that makes misusing the 911 system punishable as a third degree felony if the
value of the service obtained by misuse of the system is $100 or greater. (Section 1)
The bill requires a court to order any person convicted of misusing the 911 system to pay restitution to a
responding public safety agency and any other victim who suffers damage or injury as a proximate result of lawful
conduct arising out of an emergency response. The bill specifies that the restitution must include the full payment
of any cost incurred by such agency. (Section 1)
The effective date of the bill is July 1, 2025. (Section 3)
FISCAL OR ECONOMIC IMPACT:
STATE GOVERNMENT:
The bill may have an indeterminate positive prison bed impact by creating new felony offenses for misusing the
911 system which result in specified injury or death, which could lead to increased prison admissions.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT:
The bill requires a court to order a person who is convicted of misusing the 911 system to pay restitution to any
responding public safety agency and any other victim who suffers damage or injury. To the extent that public safety
agencies are expending funds by responding to emergency calls resulting from misuse of the 911 system, there
may be an indeterminate positive fiscal impact on such agencies that would be eligible to receive restitution under
the bill.
RELEVANT INFORMATION
SUBJECT OVERVIEW:
False Reports of Emergencies
Misusing the 911 System
Section 365.172, F.S., prohibits a person from:
Accessing the 911 system for the purpose of making a false alarm or complaint or reporting false
information that could result in an emergency response of any public safety agency;
3
Knowingly using or attempting to use the 911 system for a purpose other than public safety assistance; or
Knowingly using or attempting to use the 911 system in an effort to avoid any charge for service.
A violation is punishable as a first degree misdemeanor. A person commits a third degree felony if he or she
misuses the 911 system and:
The person has four prior convictions for misusing the 911 system; or
The value of the service or the service charge obtained by misusing the 911 system exceeds $100.
4
The felony is unranked on the OSRC and thus defaults to a Level 1 offense.
False Reports of Crimes
Section 817.49, F.S., prohibits a person from willfully imparting, conveying, or causing to be imparted or conveyed
to any law enforcement officer or employee of a public safety agency, false information or reports concerning the
commission of any crime when the person knows the report is false and that no such crime has been committed. A
3 “Public safety agency” means a functional division of a public agency which provides firefighting, law enforcement, medical, or other
emergency services. S. 365.172(3)(z), F.S.
4 S. 365.172, F.S. JUMP TO SUMMARY ANALYSIS RELEVANT INFORMATION BILL HISTORY
3
violation is punishable as a first degree misdemeanor.
5 If a person willfully makes a false report of a crime and the
response by a public safety agency results in:
Great bodily harm, permanent disfigurement, or permanent disability to any person as a proximate result
of lawful conduct arising out of a response, the person making such a false report commits a third degree
felony, which is ranked as a Level 3 offense on the offense severity ranking chart (OSRC).
Death to any person as a proximate result of lawful conduct arising out of a response, the person making
such a false report commits a second degree felony, which is ranked as a Level 6 offense on the OSRC.
A court must order a person who is convicted of making a false report of a crime to pay restitution, which must
include full payment for any cost incurred by a responding public safety agency.
6
Offense Severity Ranking Chart
Felony offenses subject to the Criminal Punishment Code (CPC) are listed in a single offense severity ranking chart
(OSRC), which uses 10 offense levels to rank felonies from least severe (Level 1) to most severe (Level 10). Each
felony offense is assigned to a level according to the severity of the offense, commensurate with the harm or
potential for harm to the community that is caused by the offense, as determined by statute. A person’s primary
offense, any other current offenses, and prior offenses are scored using the points designated for the offense
severity level of each offense. The final calculation, following the scoresheet formula, determines the lowest
permissible sentence that the trial court may impose, absent a valid reason for departure.
7 If an offense is
unranked, the CPC specifies a default level on the OSRC depending on the felony degree of the offense.
8
BILL HISTORY
COMMITTEE REFERENCE ACTION DATE
STAFF
DIRECTOR/
POLICY CHIEF
ANALYSIS
PREPARED BY
Criminal Justice Subcommittee 17 Y, 0 N, As CS 3/12/2025 Hall Padgett
THE CHANGES ADOPTED BY THE
COMMITTEE:
Created a third degree felony if a person misuses the 911 system by
making a false report and the emergency response results in great
bodily harm, permanent disfigurement, or permanent disability, and
ranked the crime as a Level 2 offense on the offense severity ranking
chart (OSRC).
Created a second degree felony if a person misuses the 911 system by
making a false report and the emergency response results in death to
any person, ranked as a Level 5 offense on the OSRC.
Required a person who is convicted of misusing the 911 system to pay
restitution to both the responding public safety agency and any other
victim who suffers damage.
Economic Infrastructure
Subcommittee
17 Y, 0 N 3/19/2025 Keating Bauldree
Judiciary Committee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS BILL ANALYSIS HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INCORPORATE ALL OF THE CHANGES DESCRIBED ABOVE.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 S. 817.49(1), F.S.
6 S. 817.49(3), F.S.
7 S. 921.0022, F.S.
8 S. 921.0023, F.S.