STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9236
IN SENATE
February 18, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee 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
25 3. Gratuitously reports to a law enforcement officer or agency,
26 including using artificial intelligence or generative artificial intel-
27 ligence as defined by section seventeen hundred of the general business
28 law, (a) the alleged occurrence of an offense or incident which did not
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13942-01-5
S. 9236 2
1 in fact occur; or (b) an allegedly impending occurrence of an offense or
2 incident which in fact is not about to occur; or (c) false information
3 relating to an actual offense or incident or to the alleged implication
4 of some person therein; or
5 4. Reports, by word or action including using artificial intelligence
6 or generative artificial intelligence as defined by section seventeen
7 hundred of the general business law, an alleged occurrence or condition
8 of child abuse or maltreatment or abuse or neglect of a vulnerable
9 person which did not in fact occur or exist to:
10 (a) the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment, as
11 defined in title six of article six of the social services law or the
12 vulnerable persons' central register as defined in article eleven of
13 such law, or
14 (b) any person required to report cases of suspected child abuse or
15 maltreatment pursuant to subdivision one of section four hundred thir-
16 teen of the social services law or to report cases of suspected abuse or
17 neglect of a vulnerable person pursuant to section four hundred ninety-
18 one of such law, knowing that the person is required to report such
19 cases, and with the intent that such an alleged occurrence be reported
20 to the statewide central register or vulnerable persons' central regis-
21 ter.
22 Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree is a class A misde-
23 meanor.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
