[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S9483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE STALKING BILL

  Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I know the majority leader will be here 
shortly. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss the schedule for 
the remainder of the day with him when he comes.
  Let me just say that I apologize for not having the opportunity to 
have been here this morning. I know there have been a number of 
discussions underway with regard to the schedule and individual issues.
  The distinguished Senator from Texas, the Presiding Officer, made a 
number of points this morning regarding the stalking bill that she has 
made in the past. I am told she suggested that her stalking 
legislation, which passed the Senate last week after an amendment to 
the bill was worked out, is being held up in the House and that she 
referred to a commitment I made to her to try to help her get it 
passed. I am told she suggested that, because the bill has not cleared 
the House in the last week, that I have not lived up to that 
commitment.
  As several Senators pointed out earlier this morning, sometimes it 
takes more than a week for the other body to act. At any rate, I 
understand that the problem is not as dire as earlier suggested--and 
that the circumstances surrounding this stalking legislation certainly 
do not warrant objections to action on the Executive Calendar. I wanted 
to confirm this, but I can now say with authority--I have the 
references before me --that the entire language of the Senator's 
stalking bill, word-for-word, is currently in the defense authorization 
conference report that is in the Senate. This language was apparently 
accepted by the House and Senate conferees. She was one of those 
conferees, so I am sure she understood that.
  I am confused as to why that was not recognized this morning, 
yesterday, or at some point, because she made quite a point of saying 
that we had not worked in good faith. Well, clearly, the conferees were 
there and could have objected to the inclusion of that language, and 
they did not. So the language is in the defense authorization 
conference report, and I hope that she feels that that represents a 
fairly significant development in terms of getting her policy 
accomplished. I am very disappointed that the other half of the 
stalking legislation that passed last week--the amendment of the 
Senator from New Jersey that she praised so strongly and so 
appropriately the other night --was not included. The Senator from 
Texas has given me her word, as has the majority leader, that they 
would work with us to get that legislation enacted as well. I know that 
she will live up to that commitment, just as the majority leader and I 
have attempted to work in good faith to live up to ours.
  The reference, I might point out, to the Senator from Texas's 
stalking language is section 1069 of the defense authorization 
conference report. The page in the Congressional Record, dated July 30, 
1996, was page 9055, in the House section.
  I ask unanimous consent that that section of the conference report be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

     SEC. 1069. PUNISHMENT OF INTERSTATE STALKING.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 110A of title 18, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after section 2361 the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 2261A. Interstate stalking

       ``Whoever travels across a State line or within the special 
     maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States 
     with the intent to injure or harass another person, and in 
     the course of, or as a result of, such travel places that 
     person in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily 
     injury (as defined in section 1365(g)(3) of this title) to, 
     that person or a member of that person's immediate family (as 
     defined in section 115 of this title) shall be punished as 
     provided in section 2261 of this title.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Title 18, United States Code, 
     is amended as follows:
       (1) Section 2261(b) is amended by inserting ``or section 
     2261A'' after ``this section''.
       (2) Sections 2261(b) and 2262(b) are each amended by 
     striking ``offender's spouse or intimate partner'' each place 
     it appears and inserting ``victim''.
       (3) The chapter heading for chapter 110A is amended by 
     inserting ``AND STALKING'' after ``VIOLENCE''.
       (4) The item relating to chapter 110A in the table of 
     chapters at the beginning of part I is amended to read as 
     follows:

``110A. Domestic violence and stalking......................2261''.....

       (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 110A of such title is amended by 
     inserting after the item relating to section 2261 the 
     following new item:

``2261A. Interstate stalking.''.



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