# 119-s-38: Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025

119-s-38, Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] (R-FL); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-38
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-38
- Congress: 119
- Title: Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-09
- Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] (R-FL)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Expands criminal and civil penalties for swatting.** This bill would make it a crime to intentionally send false or misleading information when that information could reasonably cause an emergency response and would let responders sue to recover costs from false reports. - Public safety agencies and not-for-profit fire or rescue organizations could recover expenses they paid for emergency or investigative responses. - People targeted by false reports would get broader protection because the law would cover false claims that mimic serious federal crimes and false reports sent by mail or across state lines. - Perpetrators could face prison time, including up to 5 years for general offenses and up to life imprisonment if a false report causes a death.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL] (R-AL), 2025-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (R-SD), 2025-01-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Recover emergency response expenses: benefit, high. If enacted, this bill would let any party recover expenses they paid for an emergency or investigative response to an intentional false report. The civil right applies when the false information fits the bill's two criminal pathways, including reports sent through mail or interstate means. The bill…
- Stronger penalties for false reports: cost, high. If enacted, this bill would make it a federal crime to intentionally give false or misleading information that causes an emergency response. It creates two ways to be charged: when the false report reasonably suggests certain listed federal crimes, or when it is sent by mail or interstate means and…

## Related bills

- 119-s-275: Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act of 2025
- 119-s-124: Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025
- 119-s-3752: SAVE America Act
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026
- 119-s-2907: Chloe Cole Act
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-38 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/38)

## Related
- [119-s-275: Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS)…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-275)
- [119-s-124: Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-124)
- [119-s-3752: SAVE America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3752)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [119-s-2907: Chloe Cole Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2907)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-38 (as of 2026-08-11).