N.Y. PEN Law § 240.50
This is the official text of N.Y. PEN Law § 240.50, part of New York’s Penal Law — defines crimes and punishments in New York.
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Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree
Official statutory text
§ 240.50 Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree.\n A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident in the third\ndegree when, knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated to\nbe false or baseless, he or she:\n 1. Initiates or circulates a false report or warning of an alleged\noccurrence or impending occurrence of a crime, catastrophe or emergency\nunder circumstances in which it is not unlikely that public alarm or\ninconvenience will result; or\n 2. Reports, by word or action, to an official or quasi-official agency\nor organization having the function of dealing with emergencies\ninvolving danger to life or property, an alleged occurrence or impending\noccurrence of a catastrophe or emergency which did not in fact occur or\ndoes not in fact exist; or\n 3. Gratuitously reports to a law enforcement officer or agency (a) the\nalleged occurrence of an offense or incident which did not in fact\noccur; or (b) an allegedly impending occurrence of an offense or\nincident which in fact is not about to occur; or (c) false information\nrelating to an actual offense or incident or to the alleged implication\nof some person therein; or\n 4. Reports, by word or action, an alleged occurrence or condition of\nchild abuse or maltreatment or abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person\nwhich did not in fact occur or exist to:\n (a) the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment, as\ndefined in title six of article six of the social services law or the\nvulnerable persons' central register as defined in article eleven of\nsuch law, or\n (b) any person required to report cases of suspected child abuse or\nmaltreatment pursuant to subdivision one of section four hundred\nthirteen of the social services law or to report cases of suspected\nabuse or neglect of a vulnerable person pursuant to section four hundred\nninety-one of such law, knowing that the person is required to report\nsuch cases, and with the intent that such an alleged occurrence be\nreported to the statewide central register or vulnerable persons'\ncentral register.\n Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree is a class A\nmisdemeanor.\n
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