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The Florida Senate

CS/HB 611 — False Reports to Law Enforcement Officers

by Criminal Justice Subcommittee and Rep. Watson and others (CS/SB 400 by Criminal Justice Committee and Senator Dean)

This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.

Prepared by: Criminal Justice Committee (CJ)

It is a first degree misdemeanor to knowingly giving false information to a law enforcement officer regarding the alleged commission of a crime. The bill increases the degree of this offense to a third degree felony if the person committing this offense has a previous conviction for this offense and one of two circumstances applies. In the first circumstance, the information the person gave to the law enforcement officer was communicated orally and the officer’s account of that information is corroborated by an audio recording or audio recording in a video of that information, a written or recorded statement made by the person who gave that information, or another person who was present when that information was given to the officer and heard that information. In the second circumstance, the information the person gave to the officer was communicated in writing.

If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect October 1, 2013.

Vote: Senate 37-0; House 113-3