CRIME OF FALSE STATEMENT TO LEGISLATURE

HB 260 would create a new fourth-degree felony for knowingly making a false statement to the legislature during a testimony request in a committee hearing about a specific issue. It applies to anyone testifying before a legislative committee on a matter they were asked to address, excluding public comments during designated public comment periods. The bill defines the offense as making an untrue statement the person knows to be false in such proceedings, with a legislator who heard the testimony able to refer the case to the district attorney for prosecution. This law directly affects witnesses testifying before committees on requested topics, not the general public during open comment times.