To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for communicating threats that target schools.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment) for bomb threats and malicious false information involving fire or explosives that target schools, requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment) for threatening communications made through the mail or interstate channels that target schools, and requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment and fines) for conveying false information or hoaxes about dangerous activities targeting schools. It relies on compliance mandates. The main policy areas are Criminal Justice and Education.
Who Benefits and How
K-12 and postsecondary schools could face reduced risk and Local and federal law enforcement responding to school hoaxes could face reduced risk.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Individuals who perpetrate hoaxes or false reports targeting schools could face higher costs, Individuals who make interstate or mailed threats against schools could face higher costs, and Individuals who make bomb threats against schools could face higher costs.
Key Provisions
- Requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment) for bomb threats and malicious false information involving fire or explosives that target schools.
- Requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment) for threatening communications made through the mail or interstate channels that target schools.
- Requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment and fines) for conveying false information or hoaxes about dangerous activities targeting schools.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment) for bomb threats and malicious false information involving fire or explosives that target schools, requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment) for threatening communications made through the mail or interstate channels that target schools, and requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment and fines) for conveying false information or hoaxes about dangerous activities targeting schools.
Key Policy Areas
Criminal Justice, Education
Primary Purpose
The bill requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment) for bomb threats and malicious false information involving fire or explosives that target schools, requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment) for threatening communications made through the mail or interstate channels that target schools, and requires enhanced criminal penalties (up to 20 years imprisonment and fines) for conveying false information or hoaxes about dangerous activities targeting schools.
Policy Domains
Whole bill
Identified Gains
- K-12 and postsecondary schools
- Local and federal law enforcement responding to school hoaxes
Identified Costs
- Individuals who perpetrate hoaxes or false reports targeting schools
- Individuals who make interstate or mailed threats against schools
- Individuals who make bomb threats against schools
- Federal law enforcement (ATF, FBI)
- U.S. Postal Service and federal investigators
Sponsors
Michael Lawler
R-NY | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Lawler (for himself and Mr. Bacon) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Individuals who make bomb threats against schools, Individuals who make interstate or mailed threats against schools, Individuals who perpetrate hoaxes or false reports targeting schools
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology