A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives targets swatting, an increasingly common and costly hoax in which perpetrators spoof a communication to authorities about a hostage situation or other violent crime in progress. A huge percentage of those involved in swatting are under the age of 18, and the federal justice system isnt built to handle juvenile offenders. California has a law that requires swatters to repay any costs associated with the incident, which can range as high as $10,000.”]
Source: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/11/federal-legislation-targets-swatting-hoaxes/