People convicted of calling in fake emergencies to Pennsylvania schools and colleges now face stiffer sentences and a bill for the response.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Act 75 on Oct. 22, a law targeting "swatting," the practice of filing a false report of a serious emergency to trigger a large police response. State Rep. Tim Briggs, D-Montgomery, who represents parts of Lower Merion Township, sponsored the legislation as House Bill 1935.
The law directs the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing to create a sentencing enhancement when a terroristic-threat conviction involves a school or college, according to Briggs' office. Courts can also order offenders to repay the full cost of the emergency response, including supplies, equipment, employee wages and overtime for police, firefighters and EMS personnel.
"Swatting is not a harmless prank. It creates fear, disrupts learning and puts students, educators and first responders in danger," Briggs said in a statement announcing the signing.
Briggs introduced the bill after a wave of false active-shooter reports hit Pennsylvania schools and colleges in August 2025. Villanova University was among the targets.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Delaware County's Department of Emergency Services received a call claiming a man armed with an AR-15-style weapon was firing shots on Villanova's campus, NBC10 reported. The university issued an active-shooter alert within a minute. Students, parents and staff ran for cover during back-to-school activities that included Mass and a family picnic. Officers from departments across the region and 18 EMS units responded before investigators determined the report was fake and lifted the shelter-in-place order about two hours later.
Lower Merion Police were among the departments that responded to the Villanova call, according to Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse.
A juvenile was charged federally in April 2026 in connection with the swatting calls, according to CBS News Philadelphia. The suspect self-identified as a member of a cybercriminal group called Purgatory and randomly selected institutions to target, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, president of Villanova University, said in a statement that the university supported the bill. He said Villanova "experienced firsthand the fear, uncertainty and disruption caused by swatting incidents" and hopes the law's stronger penalties "will help deter these dangerous acts in the future."
The bill passed the Pennsylvania House 154-45 on Feb. 3 and the Senate 45-5 on Oct. 19 before Shapiro signed it Oct. 22. It was one of 58 bills the governor signed that day, Patch reported.
Briggs represents the 149th Legislative District, which includes Bridgeport, West Conshohocken, Upper Merion and parts of Lower Merion in Montgomery County.
