[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 924 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                  Union Calendar No. 19
105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 924

                          [Report No. 105-28]

To amend title 18, United States Code, to give further assurance to the 
  right of victims of crime to attend and observe the trials of those 
                         accused of the crime.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 1997

  Mr. McCollum (for himself, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

                             March 17, 1997

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to give further assurance to the 
  right of victims of crime to attend and observe the trials of those 
                         accused of the crime.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Victim Allocution 
Clarification Act of 1997''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. RIGHTS OF VICTIMS TO ATTEND AND OBSERVE 
              TRIAL.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Chapter 223 of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 3510. Rights of victims to attend and observe 
              trial</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``A United States district court shall not order any 
victim of an offense excluded from the trial of a defendant accused of 
that offense because such victim may or will--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) exercise the right to make a statement or 
        present any information in relation to the sentence at the 
        imposition of sentence; or</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) testify as to the effect of the offense on 
        the victim and the victim's family.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
beginning of chapter 223 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new item:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``3510. Rights of victims to attend and observe trial.''.
<DELETED>    (c) Effect on Pending Cases.--The amendments made by this 
section shall apply in cases pending on the date of the enactment of 
this Act.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Victim Allocution Clarification Act 
of 1997''.

SEC. 2. RIGHTS OF VICTIMS TO ATTEND AND OBSERVE TRIAL.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 223 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 3510. Rights of victims to attend and observe trial
    ``A United States district court shall not order any victim of an 
offense excluded from the trial of a defendant accused of that offense 
because such victim may or will, during the sentencing hearing--
            ``(1) exercise the right to make a statement or present any 
        information in relation to the sentence at the imposition of 
        sentence; or
            ``(2) testify as to the effect of the offense on the victim 
        and the victim's family.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 223 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new item:

``3510. Rights of victims to attend and observe trial.''.
    (c) Effect on Pending Cases.--The amendments made by this section 
shall apply in cases pending on the date of the enactment of this Act.




                                                  Union Calendar No. 19

105th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 924

                          [Report No. 105-28]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to give further assurance to the 
  right of victims of crime to attend and observe the trials of those 
                         accused of the crime.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             March 17, 1997

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