Humanitarian Policy Act of 1997

Humanitarian Policy Act of 1997 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) any Government entity from encouraging the use of torture; and (2) anyone, under color of Government authority, from teaching or distributing materials encouraging the use of torture.

[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 1417 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1417

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for those 
who, under color of Government authority, teach or distribute materials 
                    encouraging the use of torture.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 1997

 Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for those 
who, under color of Government authority, teach or distribute materials 
                    encouraging the use of torture.

    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 ``Humanitarian Policy Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. TEACHING OR DISTRIBUTING MATERIALS ENCOURAGING THE USE OF 
              TORTURE.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 45 (relating to foreign relations) of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``Sec. 971. Teaching or distributing materials encouraging the use of 
              torture
    ``It is unlawful for any entity within, or agency of, the Federal 
Government to use, or encourage the use of, torture, whether to achieve 
the foreign policy goals of the United States, or otherwise. Whoever, 
whether inside or outside the United States, under color of the 
authority of the United States Government teaches, or distributes 
materials encouraging the use of, torture (as defined in section 2340) 
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, 
or both.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 45 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item:

``971. Teaching or distributing materials encouraging the use of 
                            torture.''.

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