Celebrities including Ashton Kutcher and Tom Cruise have been targets of the fake 911 calls reporting serious emergencies like a kidnapping. Earlier this week, Chris Brown was the subject of a "swatting" hoax.
It's called "swatting" because SWAT teams usually respond to the target's home.
State Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, says he hopes the measure will put an end to the pranks.
"It will increase penalties on false 911 calls by making it easier to prosecute a felony for the calls it will also hold the perpetrator responsible for the cost of the false 911 call," he said.
The measure still needs legislative approval. No hearing date has been set.
