SB 99 Utah Senate · 2026 General Session

Emergency Reporting Offense Amendments

SB 99 amends Utah law to clarify and expand the offense of "emergency reporting abuse" by specifically prohibiting contacting 911 when someone knows or should know no actual emergency exists. It directly affects individuals who make repeated false 911 calls, including those who report non-existent emergencies after being previously warned by authorities. The bill adds a new provision (Section 76-9-105.5(2)(d)) making such conduct a class B misdemeanor, while false reports about weapons of mass destruction or sex-designated changing rooms remain second-degree felonies. It also requires courts to order convicted individuals to reimburse government or organizations for response costs incurred. The law takes effect May 6, 2026.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Mar 7, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Substitute #1 · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill expands the definition of emergency reporting abuse to include contacting 911 when no emergency, crime, or public safety threat exists, even if the caller was not previously warned. It also moves the definition of 'party line' into the statute where it is used and adds a new section prohibiting the misuse of party lines during emergencies. These changes aim to better protect emergency resources from abuse and clarify legal definitions.
Scope change
The bill now explicitly covers false reports involving crimes or public safety threats, not just emergencies, and adds a separate offense for misusing party lines during emergencies.
SCOPE

Expanded the definition of prohibited conduct to include reporting crimes or public safety threats that do not exist, not just general emergencies.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that a violation occurs if the actor has been previously informed by a dispatcher or officer that the situation is not appropriate for 911 reporting.

Created a new offense prohibiting the intentional refusal to yield a party line or public pay phone when an emergency is reported.

DEFINITION

Moved the definition of 'party line' from the emergency reporting statute to the statute where it is actually referenced to improve clarity.

TECHNICAL

Removed the standalone section regarding emergency reporting abuse to consolidate the law and integrate the party line definition.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
23
Key actions
2
Committee
3
Jan 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]
upper
Jan 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Committee
Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Introduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors