A bill backed by Attorney General Beau Biden and a bipartisan group of lawmakers that will create a felony offense of providing false information to law enforcement officers passed the House late yesterday and is on its way to the governor.
Under Senate Bill 209, sponsored by Sen. Bruce Ennis, Rep. Larry Mitchell, Sen. David Lawson and Rep. Biff Lee, individuals who purposefully provide false information to police investigating a crime would be guilty of a Class G felony under the legislation and face the penalty of up to two years in jail.
The federal government and other states have laws that punish those who lie to police officers.
“I want to thank the former police officers who serve in the General Assembly for their leadership in sponsoring and securing the passage of this needed legislation,” Biden said. “Law enforcement has to use its limited resources as effectively as possible to fight crime and prosecute offenders. This bill gives us an additional tool to hold those accountable who mislead officers in their pursuit of the truth.”
SB 209 was introduced on April 25 and passed the Senate on May 17.
