Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens federal penalties to deter and reduce school hoaxes and threats—improving safety and reducing disruptions—but does so by expanding criminalization and federal prosecution in ways that risk overbreadth, burdens on vulnerable people, and increased costs to the justice system.
Students, teachers, staff, and families face fewer threats and hoaxes because knowingly making false or threatening reports about schools is a federal felony (up to 20 years), which should deter would-be hoaxers.
Schools and students experience fewer false-evacuation incidents and related disruptions, preserving instructional time and reducing panic and closures.
Federal prosecutors and law enforcement gain a clearer federal enforcement option for serious or interstate threats against schools, supporting local authorities when cases cross state lines or use interstate communications.
Parents, students, and educators risk having ambiguous or careless speech criminalized because the statute's language on 'maliciously conveying false information' is broad, raising free-speech and due-process concerns.
Juveniles and people with mental illness (and other low-level or non-malicious actors) face the risk of disproportionately harsh penalties—up to 20 years in prison—which raises fairness and justice concerns.
The bill broadens federal criminal jurisdiction over school-related hoaxes and threats, which may shift many cases from state/local systems to federal courts and increase DOJ workload and federal prosecution costs.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Expands federal crimes to ban threats, false reports, and hoaxes about schools and raises penalties up to 20 years in prison and fines.
Makes threatening or knowingly spreading false information about any school a federal felony with tougher penalties. The bill increases maximum prison terms to up to 20 years and allows fines for threats, hoaxes, and false reports that target public, private, or religious schools at all levels (early childhood through postsecondary and career/technical education as defined by state law). It does this by amending several federal criminal statutes to treat threats and hoaxes involving schools as especially serious offenses, expanding the categories of protected targets and raising penalties for violations.
Introduced September 26, 2025 by Michael Lawler · Last progress September 26, 2025