Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007

Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) expand the prohibition against conveying false information and hoaxes to include false information and hoaxes about any federal crime of terrorism; (2) increase maximum prison terms for hoaxes involving a member of the Armed Forces during war; (3) revise civil liability provisions to allow emergency personnel to seek reimbursement of expenses from the perpetrator of a hoax who receives actual notice that such personnel are taking emergency or investigative actions in response to the hoax and who fails to inform one or more parties of the hoax; and (4) expand the prohibition against mailing threatening communications in the United States or to a foreign country to include threats against corporations and governmental entities (as well as individuals).

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 735 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 735

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to improve the terrorist hoax 
                                statute.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 1, 2007

  Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mr. Coleman, and Mr. Kyl) 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 improve the terrorist hoax 
                                statute.

    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 ``Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TERRORIST HOAX STATUTE.

    (a) Hoax Statute.--Section 1038 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), after ``title 49,'' insert 
                ``or any other offense listed under section 
                2332b(g)(5)(B) of this title,''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``5 
                        years'' and inserting ``10 years''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``20 
                        years'' and inserting ``25 years''; and
            (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
    ``(b) Civil Action.--
            ``(1) In general.--Whoever engages in any conduct with 
        intent to convey false or misleading information under 
        circumstances where such information may reasonably be believed 
        and where such information indicates that an activity has 
        taken, is taking, or will take place that would constitute an 
        offense listed under subsection (a)(1) is liable in a civil 
        action to any party incurring expenses incident to any 
        emergency or investigative response to that conduct, for those 
        expenses.
            ``(2) Effect of conduct.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A person described in 
                subparagraph (B) is liable in a civil action to any 
                party described in subparagraph (B)(ii) for any 
                expenses that are incurred by that party--
                            ``(i) incident to any emergency or 
                        investigative response to any conduct described 
                        in subparagraph (B)(i); and
                            ``(ii) after the person that engaged in 
                        that conduct should have informed that party of 
                        the actual nature of the activity.
                    ``(B) Applicability.--A person described in this 
                subparagraph is any person that--
                            ``(i) engages in any conduct that has the 
                        effect of conveying false or misleading 
                        information under circumstances where such 
                        information may reasonably be believed and 
                        where such information indicates that an 
                        activity has taken, is taking, or will take 
                        place that would constitute an offense listed 
                        under subsection (a)(1);
                            ``(ii) receives notice that another party 
                        believes that the information indicates that 
                        such an activity has taken, is taking, or will 
                        take place; and
                            ``(iii) after receiving such notice, fails 
                        to promptly and reasonably inform any party 
                        described in subparagraph (B) of the actual 
                        nature of the activity.''.
    (b) Threatening Communications.--
            (1) Mailed within the united states.--Section 876 of title 
        18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof 
        the following new subsection:
    ``(e) For purposes of this section, the term `addressed to any 
other person' includes an individual (other than the sender), a 
corporation or other legal person, and a government or agency or 
component thereof.''.
            (2) Mailed to a foreign country.--Section 877 of title 18, 
        United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the 
        following new paragraph:
    ``For purposes of this section, the term `addressed to any person' 
includes an individual, a corporation or other legal person, and a 
government or agency or component thereof.''.
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