N.Y. Penal Law § 240.50: Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree

§ 240.50 Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree.

A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident in the third

degree when, knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to

be false or baseless, he or she:

1. Initiates or circulates a false report or warning of an alleged

occurrence or impending occurrence of a crime, catastrophe or emergency

under circumstances in which it is not unlikely that public alarm or

inconvenience will result; or

2. Reports, by word or action, to an official or quasi-official agency

or organization having the function of dealing with emergencies

involving danger to life or property, an alleged occurrence or impending

occurrence of a catastrophe or emergency which did not in fact occur or

does not in fact exist; or

3. Gratuitously reports to a law enforcement officer or agency (a) the

alleged occurrence of an offense or incident which did not in fact

occur; or (b) an allegedly impending occurrence of an offense or

incident which in fact is not about to occur; or (c) false information

relating to an actual offense or incident or to the alleged implication

of some person therein; or

4. Reports, by word or action, an alleged occurrence or condition of

child abuse or maltreatment or abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person

which did not in fact occur or exist to:

(a) the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment, as

defined in title six of article six of the social services law or the

vulnerable persons' central register as defined in article eleven of

such law, or

(b) any person required to report cases of suspected child abuse or

maltreatment pursuant to subdivision one of section four hundred

thirteen of the social services law or to report cases of suspected

abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person pursuant to section four hundred

ninety-one of such law, knowing that the person is required to report

such cases, and with the intent that such an alleged occurrence be

reported to the statewide central register or vulnerable persons'

central register.

Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree is a class A

misdemeanor.