{
  "id": "RL31314",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL31314",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 101118,
      "date": "2002-03-01",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:14:33.015941",
      "title": "Anti-Hoax Legislation in the 107th Congress: Addressing Problems since September 2001",
      "summary": "Since September 11, 2001, the number of false claims of terrorist acts has ballooned. These false\nclaims have become a serious headache for law enforcement officials, who are overwhelmed with\nworking overtime to prevent actual terrorist acts and the investigations of all suspicious and fake\nevents. Under current law, it is a felony to perpetrate a hoax by claiming there is a bomb on an\nairplane or to communicate in interstate commerce a threat to do bodily harm or personal injury to\nanother. However, current law does not address a hoax related to biological, chemical, or nuclear\ndangers where there is no specific threat. On December 12, 2001, the House of Representatives by\na 423 to 0 vote passed  H.R. 3209  which is designed to punish a variety of hoaxes not\ncovered under current law. The bill would impose civil and criminal penalties to deter and punish\na person or persons for perpetrating a hoax that others could reasonably believe is or may involve\na biological, chemical, or nuclear attack or an attack using some other type of weapon of mass\ndestruction. Also, a convicted person could be responsible for the reimbursement of any emergency\nor investigative expense due to the hoax. The House Judiciary Committee by voice vote favorably\nreported  H.R. 3209  on November 15, 2001, which was introduced by Representative\nLamar Smith, Chairman of the Crime Subcommittee on November 1, 2001. On December 12, 2001,\n H.R. 3209  was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. \nA companion bill ( S. 1719 ) which is identical to  H.R. 3209  was also\nintroduced in the Senate as well as other similar Senate bills with several significant differences\nregarding the standard of knowledge reflecting the degree of intent necessary for a conviction.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL31314",
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      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law",
    "Constitutional Questions",
    "Intelligence and National Security"
  ]
}