[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 976 Introduced in House (IH)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 976

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent price gouging during 
                               disasters.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 1995

    Mr. Baker of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent price gouging during 
                               disasters.

    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 ``Disaster Area Price Gouging 
Prevention Act of 1995''.

SEC. 2. TITLE 18 AMENDMENT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 880. Price gouging during disaster
    ``(a) Whoever engages in price gouging in a disaster area shall be 
fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
    ``(b) As used in this section--
            ``(1) the term `price gouging' means selling a good or 
        service at a price greater than or equal to twice the median 
        price prevailing in the locality just before the disaster, but 
        in computing the price increase for the purposes of this 
        section, a charge for any attendant business risk and other 
        reasonable expenses that result from the disaster shall not be 
        included;
            ``(2) the term `in a disaster area' means in a geographical 
        area with respect to which a declaration that such area is a 
        disaster area--
                    ``(A) has been made by the chief executive of the 
                State in which such area is located; and
                    ``(B) is in effect; and
            ``(3) the term `State' includes the District of Columbia, 
        Puerto Rico, and any other territory or possession of the 
        United States.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``Price gouging during disaster.''.
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