Jan. 23, 2018
HARRISBURG – House Judiciary Committee Majority Chairman Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin) moved legislation to make it illegal for people to use specialized equipment to change the caller identification information that is displayed on a telephone today during the committee’s scheduled weekly voting meeting.
“We are hearing about hundreds of Pennsylvania residents who are being contacted by deceptive people that, through the use of spoofing equipment, are able to pretend to be a local bank. They then ask whoever answers the phone for account details and other financial information,” said Marsico. “They are stealing information from innocent people and causing real damage to their lives.”
House Bill 979 would amend current law by adding the offense of false caller identification information display. Current technology allows a person, either through a computer program or through the use of specialized equipment to change the caller identification information that is displayed on a telephone. This tactic, called “spoofing” allows individuals to make it appear that a call is coming from a number or business other than that of the actual caller and can be used to defraud, harass or induce call recipients to divulge sensitive or confidential information.
This legislation would make it a misdemeanor for any person to cause false caller identification information to be displayed on a recipient’s telephone, with the intent to harass or defraud the call recipient. The penalty for a first offense would be a $2,500 fine and up to one year in prison. Second or subsequent offenses would be subject to a $5,000 fine and up to two years in prison. This legislation does not apply to the blocking of caller identification information; to law enforcement agencies, federal intelligence or security agencies; or to a telecommunications, broadband or voice-over-internet protocol service provider that is acting solely as an intermediary for the transmission of service between the caller and call recipient.
In addition to House Bill 979, several other bills moved through the committee today:
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House Bill 348 would require that the mandatory five-year sentencing upon conviction of a violent crime with a firearm is to be imposed consecutively with any other sentence imposed by the court and prohibit concurrent sentences for such violent offenses.
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House Bill 1974 would establish that a crime victim has a right to not be excluded from attending a criminal proceeding against the victim’s perpetrator, unless the court determines that the victim’s testimony would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at the proceeding. Under current law, victims of crime can be excluded by the court from attending trial.
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House Bill 1979 would remove the sunset date for a 20-year statute of limitations on legal actions upon instruments under seal. If permitted to lapse (on June 27), instruments under seal would be subject to a four-year statute of limitations, like ordinary contracts, instead of the current 20 years.
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Senate Bill 449 would amend the Crimes Code to allow a court of common pleas to use a risk assessment tool when determining whether to allow bail in a criminal case involving domestic violence.
The legislation will now go to the full House for consideration.
Representative Ronald Marsico
105th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
RonMarsico.com
Media Contact: Autumn R. Southard, 717.652.3721
asouthar@pahousegop.com