PUBLIC LAW 97-297—OCT. 12, 1982
96 STAT. 1317
Public Law 97-297 97th Congress An Act To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a criminal penalty for threats against former Presidents, major Presidential candidates, and certain other persons protected by the Secret Service, and for other purposes.
Oct. 12, 1982 [H.R. 6168]
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) chapter 41Threats against of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the former and Presidents following new section: certain other persons, criminal penalty. 18 USC 879.
"§879. Threats against former Presidents and certain other persons protected by the Secret Service "(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully threatens to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon— "(1) a former President or a member of the immediate family of a former President; "(2) a member of the immediate family of the President, the President-elect, the Vice President, or the Vice President-elect; or "(3) a major candidate for the office of President or Vice President, or the spouse of such candidate; who is protected by the Secret Service as provided by law, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. "(b) As used in this section— Definitions. "(1) the term 'immediate family' means— "(A) with respect to subsection (a)(1) of this section, the wife of a former President during his lifetime, the widow of a former President until her death or remarriage, and minor children of a former President until they reach sixteen years of age; and "(B) with respect to subsection (a)(2) of this section, a person to whom the President, President-elect, Vice President, or Vice President-elect— "(i) is related by blood, marriage, or adoption; or "(ii) stands in loco parentis; "(2) the term 'major candidate for the office of President or Vice President' means a candidate referred to in the first section of the joint resolution entitled 'Joint resolution to authorize the United States Secret Service to furnish protection to major Presidential or Vice Presidential candidates', approved June 6, 1968 (18 U.S.C. 3056 note); and "(3) the terms 'President-elect' and 'Vice President-elect' have the meanings given those terms in section 871(b) of this title.". 18 USC 871. (b) The table of sections for chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item: '879. Threats against former Presidents and certain other persons protected by the Secret Service.".
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