Securing Commerce and Protecting Businesses Act of 2020

Securing Commerce and Protecting Businesses Act of 2020

This bill makes looting or destroying property during a riot a federal crime in certain instances.

Specifically, it shall be unlawful to affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce through the (1) destruction of the property of a commercial enterprise in connection with a riot, or (2) unlawful taking of goods or property of a commercial enterprise in connection with a riot.

A person in violation of this bill shall be subject to fines, imprisonment, or both.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4425 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4425

  To amend title 18, United States Code, to create a Federal crime of 
  destruction of property and looting of certain commercial entities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 4, 2020

 Mrs. Loeffler 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 create a Federal crime of 
  destruction of property and looting of certain commercial entities.

    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 ``Securing Commerce and Protecting 
Businesses Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY AND LOOTING.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 102 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 2101 the following:
``Sec. 2101A. Destruction of property and looting
    ``(a) Offense.--It shall be unlawful to obstruct, delay, or affect 
commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, 
through the destruction of the property of or looting of a business or 
other commercial enterprise in connection with or during a riot.
    ``(b) Penalty.--Any person who violates subsection (a) shall be 
fined $10,000, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.
    ``(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as--
            ``(1) indicating an intent on the part of Congress to 
        prevent any State, any possession or Commonwealth of the United 
        States, or the District of Columbia, from exercising 
        jurisdiction over any offense over which it would have 
        jurisdiction in the absence of this section; or
            ``(2) depriving State and local law enforcement authorities 
        of responsibility for prosecuting acts that may be violations 
        of this section and that are violations of State and local 
        law.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 2102 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) As used in this chapter, the term `looting' means the 
unlawful taking or theft of goods or property during a riot.''.
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
chapter 102 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 2101 the following:

``2101A. Destruction of property and looting.''.
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