[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 419 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 419

   To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit taking a child 
                   hostage in order to evade arrest.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 11, 1999

   Ms. Snowe 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 prohibit taking a child 
                   hostage in order to evade arrest.

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

SECTION 1. CHILD HOSTAGE-TAKING TO EVADE ARREST OR OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 55 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1205. Child hostage-taking to evade arrest or obstruct justice
    ``(a) In General.--Whoever uses force or threatens to use force 
against any officer or agency of the Federal Government, and seizes or 
detains, or continues to detain, a child in order to--
            ``(1) obstruct, resist, or oppose any officer of the United 
        States, or other person duly authorized, in serving, or 
        attempting to serve or execute, any legal or judicial writ, 
        process, or warrant of any court of the United States; or
            ``(2) compel any department or agency of the Federal 
        Government to do or to abstain from doing any act;
or attempts to do so, shall be punished in accordance with subsection 
(b).
    ``(b) Sentencing.--Any person who violates subsection (a)--
            ``(1) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not less 
        than 10 years and not more than 25 years, or both;
            ``(2) if injury results to the child as a result of the 
        violation, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not less 
        than 20 years and not more than 35 years, or both; and
            ``(3) if death results to the child as a result of the 
        violation, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any 
        term of years or for life, or both.
    ``(c) Definition.--In this section, the term `child' means an 
individual who is less than 18 years of age.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 55 of title 18, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``1205. Child hostage-taking to evade arrest or obstruct justice.''.
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