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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah SB 99 makes repeat non-emergency 911 calls a class B misdemeanor and requires full response cost reimbursement
Last action · March 6, 2026: Senate/ filedSponsors: Lincoln Fillmore and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill modifies the offense of emergency reporting abuse.
Callers convicted of emergency reporting offenses face mandatory court-ordered reimbursement to governments or private entities for all expenses incurred during the response, altering financial liabilities for false or non-emergency reporting.
- Utah SB 99 was introduced during the 2026 General Session by Senator Lincoln Fillmore. context
- State legislatures periodically update criminal statutes governing emergency services misuse to manage dispatch resources and address repeat callers. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
911 emergency response services
Services gain legal protections against repeat non-emergency calls and are eligible for court-ordered expense reimbursement from convicted individuals.
Individuals contacting emergency services
Callers face class B misdemeanor charges and mandatory reimbursement costs if they repeatedly contact 911 for non-emergencies after receiving an official warning.
Key Facts
- Expands emergency reporting abuse to include contacting 911 when the actor knows or reasonably should know no public safety emergency exists, provided they were previously warned by officials that the circumstance is not appropriate for 911.
- Classifies the new non-emergency 911 contact offense as a class B misdemeanor.
- Mandates that courts order anyone convicted of an emergency reporting offense to reimburse federal, state, or local governments, private businesses, or individuals for all expenses and losses incurred in responding to the violation.
- Allows a court to order less than full reimbursement only if the court states on the record the reasons why full reimbursement is inappropriate.
Show all 6 facts
- Maintains a second degree felony penalty for reporting emergencies involving a weapon of mass destruction or making specific false emergency reports.
- Sets the effective date of the bill as May 6, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if someone calls 911 for a non-emergency after being warned?
Are offenders required to pay for the cost of emergency response?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · on the Senate floor.
Procedural history
23 actions- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ strike enacting clause
- Feb 13, 2026SenateSenate/ filed
- Feb 13, 2026SenateSenate/ strike enacting clause
- Feb 13, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Jan 29, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
Show 17 earlier actions
- Jan 29, 2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Jan 27, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 27, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Jan 27, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0099S01
- Jan 27, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0099S01
- Jan 25, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0099S01
- Jan 25, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0099S01
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 19, 2026SenateSenate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 16, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0099
- Jan 16, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0099
- Jan 12, 2026SenateSenate/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 7, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0099
- Jan 7, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0099
- Jan 7, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 7, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of 911 Misuse Penalties
The legislation broadens emergency reporting abuse from strictly false reports to include knowing non-emergency contacts following an official warning.
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 55)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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