(a) Offense defined.–A person commits the crime of
terroristic threats if the person communicates, either directly
or indirectly, a threat to:
(1) commit any crime of violence with intent to
terrorize another;
(2) cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly or
facility of public transportation; or
(3) otherwise cause serious public inconvenience, or
cause terror or serious public inconvenience with reckless
disregard of the risk of causing such terror or
inconvenience.
(b) Restitution.–A person convicted of violating this
section shall, in addition to any other sentence imposed or
restitution ordered under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9721(c) (relating to
sentencing generally), be sentenced to pay restitution in an
amount equal to the cost of the evacuation, including, but not
limited to, fire and police response; emergency medical service
or emergency preparedness response; and transportation of an
individual from the building, place of assembly or facility.
(c) Preservation of private remedies.–No judgment or order
of restitution shall debar a person, by appropriate action, to
recover from the offender as otherwise provided by law, provided
that any civil award shall be reduced by the amount paid under
the criminal judgment.
(d) Grading.–An offense under subsection (a) constitutes a
misdemeanor of the first degree unless the threat causes the
occupants of the building, place of assembly or facility of
public transportation to be diverted from their normal or
customary operations, in which case the offense constitutes a
felony of the third degree.
(e) Definition.–As used in this section, the term
“communicates” means conveys in person or by written or
electronic means, including telephone, electronic mail,
Internet, facsimile, telex and similar transmissions.
