Bill upping penalties for school threats heading to Cox’s desk
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A bill that would increase penalties for idle threats on Utah schools is on its way to Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk.
Late Tuesday, the Utah Legislature held its final vote on House Bill 14, with the Senate voting unanimously to pass it. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature or veto.
State Rep. Ryan Wilcox (R-Ogden) ran the bill, explaining on the House floor that it came as a response to an incident last March when a foreign actor called in active shooter threats at schools across Utah, prompting significant responses from police and emergency first responders.
“We learned a lot that day, and a lot of what we learned is where the holes are,” Wilcox said.
HB14 would increase the penalties for adults who make threats against schools, upping them in the most serious cases to a second-degree felony, which is punishable in Utah by one to 15 years in prison.
Currently under state code, such hoaxes can be charged as a low-level misdemeanor.
For students who make idle threats, the response is different under HB14. The minors would go before a school assessment team that will determine the property penalty, whether it be suspension or expulsion.
According to Wilcox, there have been more than 50 idle threats made against Utah schools since August. He said the silliest among them was made by a student hoping to get out of a speeding ticket.
“If it is a student who engages in this stuff … they’re going to be suspended,” Wilcox said. “They are going to have to think about it a little bit.”
Under the bill, the school assessment teams, which were instituted as a result of legislation last year, could also require that students receive counseling should it be determined they need it.
If the governor signs HB14 into law, it would go into effect on May 1.
Another bill that Wilcox is running, House Bill 84, would bring armed security guards to Utah schools. It would also update safety standards and require that every classroom have a panic button.
HB84 only needs to be voted on by the full Senate to get to the governor’s desk.
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