AUSTIN State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) has filed House Bill 268 to address the alarming rise in false emergency threats targeting schools and critical infrastructure. This legislation seeks to deter these dangerous hoaxes by increasing penalties and requiring offenders to reimburse the public for wasted emergency resources.
“In the last few years, our schools have faced a disturbing rise in hoax threats, including false reports of school shootings and bomb threats,” Landgraf said in a news release. “These acts are not harmless—they disrupt classrooms, traumatize communities, and place a financial burden on our law enforcement and emergency responders.”
HB 268 updates the Texas Penal Code by elevating the penalty for hoax threats involving schools to a third-degree felony. It also empowers emergency responders to seek restitution for the resources expended in responding to false reports.
“These hoaxes not only create chaos in our schools but also risk desensitizing the public to genuine threats,” Landgraf added. “This legislation has a clear objective: to deter hoax calls, protect public safety, and ensure that our emergency responders can focus on real threats, not false alarms.”
This proposal comes in response to a series of false emergency reports targeting Texas schools, including incidents in the Permian Basin that caused widespread panic and disrupted class days. By imposing stricter penalties and holding offenders financially accountable, HB 268 aims to safeguard students, educators and communities from the harmful consequences of these baseless threats.
The Texas Legislature will convene in January 2025, where HB 268 will be considered as part of Rep. Landgraf’s ongoing efforts to enhance public safety and strengthen communities in West Texas.