[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1532 Reported in House (RH)]





                                                  Union Calendar No. 82

105th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 1532

                          [Report No. 105-142]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to create criminal penalties for 
          theft and willful vandalism at national cemeteries.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             June 21, 1997

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed





                                                  Union Calendar No. 82
105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1532

                          [Report No. 105-142]

To amend title 18, United States Code, to create criminal penalties for 
          theft and willful vandalism at national cemeteries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 6, 1997

  Mr. Calvert (for himself, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Stump, Mr. Bono, Mr. 
Royce, Mr. Brown of California, Mr. Hayworth, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Canady of 
 Florida, Mr. Gilman, Mr. McCollum, Mr. Bonilla, Mr. Barr of Georgia, 
Mr. Mica, Mr. Hyde, Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Bilbray, 
Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Solomon, Mr. Lewis of Kentucky, Mr. Watts of Oklahoma, 
 Mr. Quinn, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Holden, Mr. Green, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Brown of 
Ohio, Mr. McKeon, Mr. Saxton, Mr. Lewis of California, Mr. Sam Johnson 
  of Texas, Mr. Gutknecht, Mr. Manton, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. English of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Mascara, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. 
Everett, Mr. Frost, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Cooksey, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, 
Mrs. Kelly, Mr. Gekas, Mr. Armey, Mr. Ramstad, Mr. Skelton, Mr. Meehan, 
Mr. Doyle, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Regula, Mr. Vento, Mr. Dicks, Mr. Foley, Mr. 
 Rohrabacher, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Roemer, and Mr. 
Smith of Michigan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

                             June 21, 1997

Additional sponsors: Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Berry, Mr. Pastor, Mr. Clement, 
 Mr. Kildee, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Metcalf, Mr. Condit, Mr. Visclosky, Mr. 
 Cunningham, Mr. Talent, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Underwood, Mr. 
Cox of California, Mr. Goodlatte, Mr. Weller, Mr. Kim, Mr. LaHood, Mr. 
Burr of North Carolina, Mr. Linder, Mr. Ryun, Mr. Shays, Mr. Campbell, 
   Mr. Camp, Mr. Barrett of Nebraska, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Redmond, Mr. 
Dickey, Mr. Barton of Texas, Ms. Granger, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Bateman, 
  Mr. Sandlin, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Farr of California, Mr. Herger, Mr. 
  Christensen, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Hulshof, Mr. Klink, Mr. 
Goss, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Filner, Mr. Davis of Virginia, Mr. Andrews, Mr. 
 Hamilton, Mr. Weldon of Florida, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, 
 Mrs. Thurman, Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Hall of Texas, Ms. Dunn, Ms. Sanchez, 
  Ms. Christian-Green, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Bentsen, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. 
Traficant, Mr. Hobson, Mr. Hall of Ohio, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Archer, 
 Mr. Kind, Mr. John, Mrs. Morella, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Fazio of California, 
Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Lazio of New York, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. Largent, 
 Mr. Combest, Mr. Latham, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Houghton, Mr. 
  Ewing, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. King, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Bachus, Mr. Deal of 
Georgia, Mrs. Emerson, Mrs. Myrick, Mr. Paxon, Mr. Fox of Pennsylvania, 
Mrs. Chenoweth, Mr. Horn, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Chambliss, Ms. Molinari, Mr. 
Kingston, Mr. Dreier, Mr. DeLay, Mr. Nethercutt, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Forbes, 
    Mr. Hoekstra, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Packard, Mr. Oxley, Mr. Castle, Mr. 
Bunning, Mr. Pombo, Mr. Bliley, Mr. Skeen, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Crane, Mr. 
 Jones, Mr. Baker, Mr. Collins, Mr. Allen, Mr. Taylor of Mississippi, 
   Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Bereuter, Mrs. Roukema, Mr. 
Fawell, Mr. Sawyer, Mr. Tanner, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. Leach, Mr. Coble, Mr. 
 Hastings of Florida, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Cramer, Mr. McDade, Mr. Hastert, 
    Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Martinez, Mr. 
Deutsch, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Thune, Mr. Wamp, Mr. Bob Schaffer 
of Colorado, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Bryant, Mr. Scarborough, Mr. Hastings of 
Washington, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Strickland, Mr. Rogan, Mr. Peterson of 
   Pennsylvania, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Murtha, Mr. Wexler, Ms. 
Harman, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Goode, Mr. Barcia, Mr. Scott, Mr. Snyder, Mr. 
  Souder, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. Taylor of North Carolina, Mr. 
   Towns, Mr. Watkins, Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mr. Brady, Mr. Turner, Mr. 
   Stearns, Mrs. Linda Smith of Washington, Mr. Spence, Mr. Ney, Mr. 
  McNulty, Mr. Etheridge, Mr. Hill, Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Mr. 
McInnis, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Capps, Mr. Edwards, 
 Mr. Evans, Mr. Sisisky, Ms. DeGette, Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Mr. 
     Hefner, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Ehrlich, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Jefferson

                             June 21, 1997

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to create criminal penalties for 
          theft and willful vandalism at national cemeteries.

    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 ``Veterans' Cemetery Protection Act of 
1997''.

SEC. 2. SENTENCING FOR VANDALISM AT NATIONAL CEMETERIES.

    (a) General Rule.--Pursuant to its authority under section 994 of 
title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission 
shall review and amend the sentencing guidelines to provide a 
sentencing enhancement for any offense against any property of a 
national cemetery--
            (1) by at least 4 levels if the offense involves the 
        willful injury to or depredation against such property, and
            (2) by at least 6 levels if the offense involves the 
        knowing theft, conversion, or unlawful sale or disposition of 
        such property.
    (b) Commission Duty.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Sentencing Commission shall ensure that the sentences, guidelines, and 
policy statements for offenders convicted of offenses described in 
subsection (a) are appropriately severe and reasonably consistent with 
other relevant directives and with other guidelines.
    (c) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term 
``national cemetery'' means a cemetery in the National Cemetery System 
established under section 2400 of title 38 and a cemetery under the 
jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, 
the Secretary of the Air Force, or the Secretary of the Interior.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to direct the 
        United States Sentencing Commission to provide sentencing 
        enhancement for offenses against property at national 
        cemeteries.''.