Mass. 911 Abuse Law Proposed

The Massachusetts legislature is considering a bill that would make 911 abuse a crime, with up to $1,000 in fines and one year in jail. “We’re getting a lot more calls that are considered inappropriate,” said Tom Ashe, the acting deputy director of the Statewide Emergency Telecommunications Board. State Sen. James Timilty is a co-sponsor, and says the law would not affect those making honest mistakes in dialing 911, or children or those mentally ill. Instead, it would target “egregious offenders,” he said. The law is similar to one in Tennessee, which raised penalties from $50 to $2,500, and jail time from 30 day to 364 days. Timilty said Tennessee has collected $400,000 in fines since the state’s law went into effect. Read more here.