Bill O’Boyle: Pa. House Republican lawmakers to introduce bills combatting 'swatting'

Feb. 25—WILKES-BARRE — Working to provide law enforcement officials with more tools in their arsenal to prosecute individuals on charges related to "swatting" — a dangerous act where a person places a hoax 911 alleging a hostage situation or other serious threat — a group of House Republicans this week announced they'll introduce a series of bills.

There has been an uptick in instances of swatting in recent years, including an incident earlier this month at a York County Walmart where a caller falsely claimed someone had been shot, hostages were taken and bombs had been placed in the store.

Not knowing swatting calls are hoaxes, law enforcement officers must take them seriously and often respond with a large police presence, including crisis response teams, or SWAT teams, hence the term swatting.

Knowing the potential for serious or deadly consequences, the great cost to respond to false alarms and taking police officers away from real work, Reps. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh), Craig Williams (R-Delaware/Chester), Dawn Keefer (R-York) and Jim Rigby (R-Cambria/Somerset) will introduce legislation to assure those engaging in false reports are held accountable.

Mackenzie's bill would criminalize swatting and make it a felony offense if any person suffers bodily injury in the course of responding to a call.

"The very nature of these swatting incidents creates the high risk that violence will occur and someone answering the emergency call may get hurt," said Mackenzie. "My bill would ensure significant criminal penalties are in place to serve as a deterrent to anyone thinking about taking part in this malicious and dangerous conduct."

Williams' legislation would give a victim of swatting an avenue to hold the person who committed the act accountable for any damages stemming from the false report.

"Swatting inflicts serious damage on individuals and property," Williams said. "My legislation grants victims the right to sue individuals making false reports. It allows for the recovery of damages from these malicious acts, ensuring victims access restitution directly from those responsible."

Since swatting calls amount to a false alarm that takes valuable police officers off the streets, Keefer will introduce a bill to allow courts to order a person who engaged in swatting to pay the costs associated with the state or municipality responding to a swatting call. These costs would include wages or other compensation of any responder for time spent responding, for prosecuting the offender and for costs of supplies and equipment used in responding to the swatting call.

"The blue line is already stretched thin enough and we cannot afford to have police officers chasing phantom calls and exhausting valuable resources at the taxpayers' expense," Keefer said. "My bill would hold those who make these malicious hoax calls financially liable."

Officers respond to swatting calls under the belief lives are in danger and swift action is necessary to end the threat. Rigby's legislation would grant civil immunity to officers who respond to a swatting call.

"As a former police chief, I've been on calls of this nature and seen law enforcement in action," Rigby added. "These 'swatters' are toying with officers' passion to answer the call and wasting time and money in search of a cheap thrill that actually isn't cheap, as well as potentially putting lives at risk."

Meuser co-sponsors legislation thatlimits increases to efficiency standards for specific distribution transformers

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, has co-sponsored H.R.7171 — the Distribution Transformer Efficiency and Supply Chain Reliability Act of 2024 — which would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to limit increases to federal efficiency standards for specific distribution transformers.

This legislation is in response to the Department of Energy's (DOE) January 2023 proposal to set new energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers. The proposed DOE rule risks worsening supply chain challenges and shortages by mandating a shift from Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) to amorphous metal cores.

Given GOES' dominance in the domestic market, such a shift could significantly impact U.S. steel manufacturers and workers who rely on GOES-related production for their paychecks.

H.R. 7171 aims to prevent the DOE's proposed rule from taking effect and seeks to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) by introducing a new energy efficiency standard for transformers, which is designed to preserve market opportunities for both GOES and amorphous metal.

This bill will also give a 10-year transition period before the new standard starts, allowing GOES and transformer supply chains enough time to adapt without adding to supply chain problems or impacting grid reliability and resilience.

"Pennsylvania plays a pivotal role in bolstering American energy independence," Meuser said. "However, the Department of Energy's current approach to enhancing efficiency poses a risk to both our domestic energy sector and the home building and development industries. This bipartisan legislation seeks to reinforce the U.S. transformer supply chain by implementing rational energy efficiency standards. I urge my colleagues to back this sensible measure, which will not only fortify our electrical grid infrastructure but also promote the use of American-made electrical steel."

H.R. 7171 was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee for further consideration.

Pashinski's office hosts legislative outreach for expanded Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski this week hosted a legislative outreach for seniors at the Senior Citizens Center in Wilkes-Barre.

"With the new changes to the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, it can be a little confusing for seniors and others who qualify for the program to know if they qualify and how much money will be returned to them this year in comparison to other years," said Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre. "My staff is well informed on this topic and help members of our community every day with filling out the application. It was great that we could do this outreach today to reach more people here at home."

Pashinski's staff assisted constituents with their Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications. This is one of many outreach events that Pashinski has planned with residents in the community.

"This event was targeted specifically for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, but my office is knowledgeable about other state government programs and services as well," Pashinski said. "While I plan on having more of these events in the future, my office is always open to the community to help with filling out applications for other programs."

Pashinski voted for the law that expanded the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, which increased both the income eligibility and rebate amounts. He also introduced legislation that would clarify the amount and source of school property tax relief on school district tax notices received by taxpayers.

DMVA Mobile Outreach Teams help veterans apply for benefits at no cost

The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) this week announced its Mobile Veterans Outreach Vans are available throughout the state to assist veterans in obtaining information and initiating benefit claim paperwork through the assistance of DMVA accredited veteran service officers.

The DMVA brings essential services directly to veterans and can be booked online for community events such as county fairs, festivals, and more. The vans offer no-cost on-site assistance with veterans benefits thanks to our accredited veteran service officers.

"We pledge to see that every veteran who is eligible for benefits related to their dedicated service receives those benefits," said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania's adjutant general and head of the DMVA. "When our outreach vans travel to events in communities throughout Pennsylvania, veterans are provided with a convenient way to apply for benefits at no cost thanks to our team of accredited veteran service officers."

The DMVA also staffs outreach teams throughout Pennsylvania communities that build relationships with veteran advocates, and connect veterans in need of specific services with those advocates.

Over the past year, outreach efforts supported 190 events — 35 by scheduling an outreach van — with nearly 4,000 veteran interactions. These teams also coordinate events with county directors of Veterans Affairs, veteran service organizations, and local and state officials to maximize awareness and attendance.

There are a wide range of federal, state and county benefits available to qualified veterans and their families, and DMVA's accredited veteran service officer outreach staff can be an excellent source of information and assistance. Such benefits might include service-connected disability compensation, pensions, VA health care benefits, burial benefits, education benefits, vocational rehabilitation, active service bonuses, veterans homes long-term care, and much more.

For more details on how to request a van for a community event, visit — DMVA at www.dmva.pa.gov.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.