STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9185
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
October 17, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ZACCARO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to falsely reporting an inci-
dent in the third degree
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 240.50 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 276
2 of the laws of 1973, the opening paragraph and subdivision 4 as amended
3 by section 1 of part G of chapter 501 of the laws of 2012, subdivisions
4 1 and 2 as amended by chapter 146 of the laws of 1979, subdivision 3 as
5 amended by chapter 302 of the laws of 2001, and the closing paragraph as
6 amended by chapter 301 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as
7 follows:
8 § 240.50 Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree.
9 A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident in the third
10 degree when, knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to
11 be false or baseless, [he or she] such person:
12 1. Initiates or circulates a false report or warning, including using
13 artificial intelligence or generative artificial intelligence as defined
14 by section seventeen hundred of the general business law, of an alleged
15 occurrence or impending occurrence of a crime, catastrophe or emergency
16 under circumstances in which it is not unlikely that public alarm or
17 inconvenience will result; or
18 2. Reports, by word or action including using artificial intelligence
19 or generative artificial intelligence as defined by section seventeen
20 hundred of the general business law, to an official or quasi-official
21 agency or organization having the function of dealing with emergencies
22 involving danger to life or property, an alleged occurrence or impending
23 occurrence of a catastrophe or emergency which did not in fact occur or
24 does not in fact exist; or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13942-01-5
A. 9185 2
1 3. Gratuitously reports to a law enforcement officer or agency,
2 including using artificial intelligence or generative artificial intel-
3 ligence as defined by section seventeen hundred of the general business
4 law, (a) the alleged occurrence of an offense or incident which did not
5 in fact occur; or (b) an allegedly impending occurrence of an offense or
6 incident which in fact is not about to occur; or (c) false information
7 relating to an actual offense or incident or to the alleged implication
8 of some person therein; or
9 4. Reports, by word or action including using artificial intelligence
10 or generative artificial intelligence as defined by section seventeen
11 hundred of the general business law, an alleged occurrence or condition
12 of child abuse or maltreatment or abuse or neglect of a vulnerable
13 person which did not in fact occur or exist to:
14 (a) the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment, as
15 defined in title six of article six of the social services law or the
16 vulnerable persons' central register as defined in article eleven of
17 such law, or
18 (b) any person required to report cases of suspected child abuse or
19 maltreatment pursuant to subdivision one of section four hundred thir-
20 teen of the social services law or to report cases of suspected abuse or
21 neglect of a vulnerable person pursuant to section four hundred ninety-
22 one of such law, knowing that the person is required to report such
23 cases, and with the intent that such an alleged occurrence be reported
24 to the statewide central register or vulnerable persons' central regis-
25 ter.
26 Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree is a class A misde-
27 meanor.
28 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
