[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3525 Engrossed in House (EH)]


  2d Session

                               H. R. 3525

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

     To amend title 18, United States Code, to clarify the Federal 
  jurisdiction over offenses relating to damage to religious property.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3525

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
     To amend title 18, United States Code, to clarify the Federal 
  jurisdiction over offenses relating to damage to religious property.

    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 ``Church Arson Prevention Act of 
1996''.

SEC. 2. DAMAGE TO RELIGIOUS PROPERTY.

    (a) In General.--Section 247 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) so that subsection (b) reads as follows:
    ``(b) The circumstances referred to in subsection (a) are that the 
offense is in or affects interstate or foreign commerce.'';
            (2) in subsection (a), by striking ``subsection (c)'' and 
        inserting ``subsection (d)'';
            (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ``or (c)'' after 
        ``subsection (a)'';
            (4) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e), as 
        subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively;
            (5) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Whoever intentionally defaces, damages, or destroys any 
religious real property because of the race, color, or ethnic 
characteristics of any individual associated with that religious 
property, or attempts to do so, shall be punished as provided in 
subsection (d).''; and
            (6) in subsection (f) as so redesignated by this section, 
        by inserting ``real'' before ``property'' each place it 
        appears.
    (b) Compensation of Victims.--
            (1) Requirement of inclusion in list of crimes eligible for 
        compensation.--Section 1403(d)(3) of the Victims of Crime Act 
        of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10602(d)(3)) is amended by inserting 
        ``crimes, whose victims suffer death or personal injury, that 
        are described in section 247 of title 18, United States Code,'' 
        after ``includes''.
            (2) Priority in crime victim assistance.--Section 
        1404(a)(2)(A) of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 
        10603(a)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting ``victims who suffer 
        death or personal injury resulting from crimes described in 
        section 247 of title 18, United States Code, and'' before 
        ``victims of''.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 18, 1996.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.