2025 SESSION

INTRODUCED

25102078D

HOUSE BILL NO. 1855

Offered January 13, 2025

Prefiled January 6, 2025

A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-83 of the Code of Virginia, relating to threats to bomb or damage; false information as to danger; public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school; penalty.

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Patron—Arnold

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Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 18.2-83 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 18.2-83. Threats to bomb or damage buildings or means of transportation; false information as to danger to such buildings, etc.; punishment; venue.

A. Any person (i) who makes and communicates to another by any means any threat to bomb, burn, destroy, or in any manner damage any place of assembly, building, or other structure, or any means of transportation, or (ii) who communicates to another, by any means, information, knowing the same to be false, as to the existence of any peril of bombing, burning, destruction, or damage to any such place of assembly, building, or other structure, or any means of transportation, is guilty of a Class 5 felony, provided, however, that if such person is under 15 years of age, he is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. If any person commits a violation of this section by communicating a threat or information concerning a public, private, or religious elementary or secondary school, as defined in § 22.1-1, the sentence imposed shall include a term of confinement of at least six months, 30 days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.

C. A violation of this section may be prosecuted either in the jurisdiction from which the communication was made or in the jurisdiction where the communication was received.

2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to § 30-19.1:4 of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation is $0 for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities and cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.