The US House of Representatives voted 388-to-3 in favor of H.R. 347 late Monday, a bill which is being dubbed the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011. In the bill, Congress officially makes it illegal to trespass on the grounds of the White House, which, on the surface, seems not just harmless and necessary, but somewhat shocking that such a rule isn’t already on the books. The wording in the bill, however, extends to allow the government to go after much more than tourists that transverse the wrought iron White House fence.
Under the act, the government is also given the power to bring charges against Americans engaged in political protest anywhere in the country.
Under current law, White House trespassers are prosecuted under a local ordinance, a Washington, DC legislation that can bring misdemeanor charges for anyone trying to get close to the president without authorization. Under H.R. 347, a federal law will formally be applied to such instances, but will also allow the government to bring charges to protesters, demonstrators and activists at political events and other outings across America.
The new legislation allows prosecutors to charge anyone who enters a building without permission or with the intent to disrupt a government function with a federal offense if Secret Service is on the scene, but the law stretches to include not just the president’s palatial Pennsylvania Avenue home. Under the law, any building or grounds where the president is visiting — even temporarily — is covered, as is any building or grounds “restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance."
WE have to stop this now.
see bill info after the break.
H.R.347 -- Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011 (Engrossed in House [Passed House] - EH)
HR 347 EH
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 347
To correct and simplify the drafting of section 1752 (relating to restricted buildings or grounds) of title 18, United States Code.
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
`Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011'.
SEC. 2. RESTRICTED BUILDING OR GROUNDS.
Section 1752 of title 18, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
`Sec. 1752. Restricted building or grounds
`(a) Whoever--
`(1) knowingly enters or remains
in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do so;
`(2) knowingly, and with intent to
impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official
functions, engages in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such
proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such
conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government
business or official functions;
`(3) knowingly, and with the
intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or
official functions, obstructs or impedes ingress or egress to or from any
restricted building or grounds; or
`(4) knowingly engages in any act
of physical violence against any person or property in any restricted building
or grounds;
or attempts or conspires to do so,
shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).
`(b) The punishment for a violation
of subsection (a) is--
`(1) a fine under this title or
imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, if--
`(A) any person, during and in
relation to the offense, uses or carries a deadly or dangerous weapon or firearm;
or
`(B) the offense results in
significant bodily injury as defined by section 2118(e)(3); and
`(2) a fine under this title or
imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, in any other case.
`(c) In this section--
`(1) the term `restricted buildings
or grounds' means any posted, cordoned off, or otherwise restricted area--
`(A) of the White House or its
grounds, or the Vice President's official residence or its grounds;
`(B) of a building or grounds
where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will
be temporarily visiting; or
`(C) of a building or grounds so
restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of
national significance; and
`(2) the term `other person
protected by the Secret Service' means any person whom the United States Secret
Service is authorized to protect under section 3056 of this title when such
person has not declined such protection.'.
Passed the House of Representatives February 28, 2011. Attest:
Clerk.
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 347
AN ACT
To correct and simplify the drafting of section 1752 (relating to restricted buildings or grounds) of title 18, United States Code.
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