110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 607
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent interference
with Federal disaster relief efforts, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 15, 2007
Mr. VITTER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent interference
with Federal disaster relief efforts, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Emergency Relief Personnel Protection Act
of 2007'.
SEC. 2. CREATING A FEDERAL CRIME OF INTERFERING WITH FEDERAL DISASTER
RELIEF EFFORTS.
(a) In General- Chapter 65 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by
adding the following new section:
`Sec. 1370. Interference with Federal disaster relief efforts
`(a) Prohibited Conduct- Whoever, during a presidentially-declared major
disaster or emergency--
`(1) forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes
with any officer or employee of the United States or of any agency in
any branch of the United States Government (including any member of the
uniformed services) while such officer or employee is engaged in or on
account of the performance of official duties relating to, or in support
of recovery from, the presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, or
any person assisting such an officer or employee in the performance of
such duties or on account of that assistance; or
`(2) forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes
with any person providing services in support of disaster relief efforts
and working in coordination with a Federal coordinating officer appointed
pursuant to section 302, Public Law 98-288 (42 U.S.C. 5143),
shall, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, be fined under
this title or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.
`(b) Enhanced Penalty- Whoever, in the commission of and in relation to
any act described in subsection (a) of this section, carries, possesses
or uses a deadly or dangerous weapon or inflicts serious bodily injury,
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 15 years or
both, or, if the death of any person results, shall be punished by death
or life imprisonment.'.
(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of chapter
65 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new item:
`1370. Interference with Federal disaster relief efforts.'.
END
