The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard SB 174 on criminal law matters sponsored by Rep. Frizzell. The bill establishes that a person who with intent to (1) deceive, or (2) induce compliance with the person’s instructions, orders or requests, falsely represents that the person is a public servant, commits impersonation of a public servant, a Class A misdemeanor. The penalty for impersonating a public servant is enhanced to a Level 6 if the person falsely represents that the person is a law enforcement officer or employee of the Department of State Revenue and collects property from another person. The bill also creates the offense of dealing in a controlled substance by a practitioner, a Level 4 felony. However, the offense is a Level 3 felony if the offense is the proximate cause of another person’s death. A technical amendment was adopted by consent.
Representatives from the Office of the Indiana Attorney General and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department testified in support of the bill. The amended bill passed 8-0.
Read the bill at https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2016/bills/senate/174