HB 211 (Punitive Penalty Enhancement for False Statements)

Libertas Institute opposes this bill.

This bill enhances any underlying crime by one degree if a suspect falsely says they have ingested drugs after arrest. When suspects do this, law enforcement must take the suspect to the hospital to be medically cleared prior to booking, wasting law enforcement and hospital resources and taxpayer dollars.

Libertas opposes this bill. While we sympathize with the problem, enhancing penalties is unlikely to deter this behavior.