695 
section 802 of the Fair Housing Act), familial 
status (as such term is defined in section 802 
of that Act), or national origin, in any of the 
activities, services, organizations or facilities de-
scribed in paragraph (1), or participating law-
fully in speech or peaceful assembly opposing 
any denial of the opportunity to so participate; 
shall be imprisoned not more than one year; and if bodily 
injury results from the acts committed in violation of this 
section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or 
threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire 
shall be imprisoned not more than ten years; and if death 
results from the acts committed in violation of this section 
or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kid-
nap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit ag-
gravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be im-
prisoned for any term of years or for life. 
‘‘§ 901. Hate crime acts 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) OFFENSES INVOLVING ACTUAL OR PER-
CEIVED RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, OR NATIONAL ORI-
GIN.—Whoever, whether or not acting under color of 
law, knowingly causes bodily injury to any person or, 
through the use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous 
weapon, or an explosive or incendiary device, at-
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PWALKER on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
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tempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because 
of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or na-
tional origin of any person— 
‘‘(A) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 
years, fined in accordance with this title, or 
both; and 
‘‘(B) shall be imprisoned for any term of 
years or for life, fined in accordance with this 
title, or both, if— 
‘‘(i) death results from the offense; or 
‘‘(ii) the offense includes kidnapping 
or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual 
abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated 
sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill. 
‘‘(2) OFFENSES INVOLVING ACTUAL OR PER-
CEIVED RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, SEX-
UAL
ORIENTATION, GENDER
IDENTITY, OR
DIS-
ABILITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Whoever, whether or 
not acting under color of law, in any cir-
cumstance described in subparagraph (B) or 
paragraph (3), knowingly causes bodily injury 
to any person or, through the use of fire, a fire-
arm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive or in-
cendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury 
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to any person, because of the actual or per-
ceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual 
orientation, gender identity, or disability of any 
person— 
‘‘(i) shall be imprisoned not more 
than 10 years, fined in accordance with 
this title, or both; and 
‘‘(ii) shall be imprisoned for any term 
of years or for life, fined in accordance 
with this title, or both, if— 
‘‘(I) death results from the of-
fense; or 
‘‘(II) the offense includes kidnap-
ping or an attempt to kidnap, aggra-
vated sexual abuse or an attempt to 
commit aggravated sexual abuse, or 
an attempt to kill. 
‘‘(B) CIRCUMSTANCES
DESCRIBED.—For 
purposes 
of 
subparagraph 
(A), 
the 
cir-
cumstances described in this subparagraph are 
that— 
‘‘(i) the conduct described in subpara-
graph (A) occurs during the course of, or 
as the result of, the travel of the defendant 
or the victim— 
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‘‘(I) across a State line or na-
tional border; or 
‘‘(II) using a channel, facility, or 
instrumentality of interstate or for-
eign commerce; 
‘‘(ii) the defendant uses a channel, fa-
cility, or instrumentality of interstate or 
foreign commerce in connection with the 
conduct described in subparagraph (A); 
‘‘(iii) in connection with the conduct 
described in subparagraph (A), the defend-
ant employs a firearm, dangerous weapon, 
explosive or incendiary device, or other 
weapon that has traveled in interstate or 
foreign commerce; or 
‘‘(iv) the conduct described in sub-
paragraph (A)— 
‘‘(I) interferes with commercial 
or other economic activity in which 
the victim is engaged at the time of 
the conduct; or 
‘‘(II) otherwise affects interstate 
or foreign commerce. 
‘‘(3) OFFENSES OCCURRING IN THE SPECIAL 
MARITIME OR TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE 
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UNITED STATES.—Whoever, within the special mari-
time or territorial jurisdiction of the United States, 
engages in conduct described in paragraph (1) or in 
paragraph (2)(A) (without regard to whether that 
conduct occurred in a circumstance described in 
paragraph (2)(B)) shall be subject to the same pen-
alties as prescribed in those paragraphs. 
‘‘(4) GUIDELINES.—All prosecutions conducted 
by the United States under this section shall be un-
dertaken pursuant to guidelines issued by the Attor-
ney General, or the designee of the Attorney Gen-
eral, to be included in the United States Attorneys’ 
Manual that shall establish neutral and objective cri-
teria for determining whether a crime was com-
mitted because of the actual or perceived status of 
any person. 
‘‘(b) CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No prosecution of any of-
fense described in this subsection may be undertaken 
by the United States, except under the certification 
in writing of the Attorney General, or a designee, 
that— 
‘‘(A) the State does not have jurisdiction; 
‘‘(B) the State has requested that the Fed-
eral Government assume jurisdiction; 
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‘‘(C) the verdict or sentence obtained pur-
suant to State charges left demonstratively 
unvindicated the Federal interest in eradicating 
bias-motivated violence; or 
‘‘(D) a prosecution by the United States is 
in the public interest and necessary to secure 
substantial justice. 
‘‘(2) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to limit the au-
thority of Federal officers, or a Federal grand jury, 
to investigate possible violations of this section. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
‘‘(1) the term ‘bodily injury’ does not include 
solely emotional or psychological harm to the victim; 
‘‘(2) the term ‘explosive or incendiary device’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 296(c); 
‘‘(3) the term ‘firearm’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 581; 
‘‘(4) the term ‘gender identity’ means actual or 
perceived gender-related characteristics; and 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER F—FOREIGN RELATIONS 
‘‘921. Agents of foreign governments. 
‘‘922. Diplomatic codes and correspondence. 
‘‘923. False statements influencing foreign Government. 
‘‘924. Conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property 
in a foreign country. 
‘‘925. Enlistment in foreign Service. 
‘‘926. Expedition against friendly nation. 
‘‘927. Detention of armed vessel. 
‘‘928. Protection of property occupied by foreign governments. 
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PWALKER on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
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‘‘§ 921. Agents of foreign governments 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Whoever, other than a diplomatic or 
consular officer or attache, acts in the United States as 
an agent of a foreign government without prior notifica-
tion to the Attorney General if required in subsection (b), 
shall be imprisoned not more than ten years. 
‘‘(b) RULES AND REGULATIONS.—The Attorney Gen-
eral shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing re-
quirements for notification. 
‘‘(c) TRANSMISSION.—The Attorney General shall, 
upon receipt, promptly transmit one copy of each notifica-
tion statement filed under this section to the Secretary 
of State for such comment and use as the Secretary of 
State may determine to be appropriate from the point of 
view of the foreign relations of the United States. Failure 
of the Attorney General to do so is not a bar to prosecu-
tion under this section. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term 
‘agent of a foreign government’ means an individual who 
agrees to operate within the United States subject to the 
direction or control of a foreign government or official, ex-
cept that such term does not include— 
‘‘(1) a duly accredited diplomatic or consular 
officer of a foreign government, who is so recognized 
by the Department of State; 
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PWALKER on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
702 
‘‘(2) any officially and publicly acknowledged 
and sponsored official or representative of a foreign 
government; 
‘‘(3) any officially and publicly acknowledged 
and sponsored member of the staff of, or employee 
of, an officer, official, or representative described in 
paragraph (1) or (2), who is not a United States cit-
izen; or 
‘‘(4) any person engaged in a legal commercial 
transaction. 
‘‘(e) ADDITIONAL BASIS FOR DETERMINING AGEN-
CY.—Notwithstanding subsection (d)(4), any person en-
gaged in a legal commercial transaction shall be consid-
ered to be an agent of a foreign government for purposes 
of this section if— 
‘‘(1) such person agrees to operate within the 
United States subject to the direction or control of 
a foreign government or official; and 
‘‘(2) such person— 
‘‘(A) is an agent of Cuba or any other 
country that the President determines (and so 
reports to the Congress) poses a threat to the 
national security interest of the United States 
for purposes of this section, unless the Attorney 
General, after consultation with the Secretary 
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703 
of State, determines and so reports to the Con-
gress that the national security or foreign policy 
interests of the United States require that this 
section does not apply in specific circumstances 
to agents of such country; or 
‘‘(B) has been convicted of, or has entered 
a plea of nolo contendere with respect to, any 
offense under section 301, 302, 303, 601, or 
261 of this title or under section 11 of the Ex-
port Administration Act of 1979, except that 
this subsection does not apply to a person de-
scribed in this subparagraph for a period of 
more than five years beginning on the date of 
the conviction or the date of entry of the plea 
of nolo contendere, as the case may be. 
‘‘§ 922. Diplomatic codes and correspondence 
‘‘Whoever, by virtue of his employment by the United 
States, obtains from another or has or has had custody 
of or access to, any official diplomatic code or any matter 
prepared in any such code, or which purports to have been 
prepared in any such code, and without authorization or 
competent authority, knowingly publishes or furnishes to 
another any such code or matter, or any matter which was 
obtained while in the process of transmission between any 
foreign government and its diplomatic mission in the 
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PWALKER on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
704 
United States, shall be or imprisoned not more than ten 
years. 
‘‘§ 923. False statements influencing foreign govern-
ment 
‘‘Whoever, in relation to any dispute or controversy 
between a foreign government and the United States, 
knowingly makes any untrue statement, either orally or 
in writing, under oath before any person authorized and 
empowered to administer oaths, which the affiant has 
knowledge or reason to believe will, or may be used to in-
fluence the measures or conduct of any foreign govern-
ment, or of any officer or agent of any foreign government, 
to the injury of the United States, or with a view or intent 
to influence any measure of or action by the United States 
or any department or agency thereof, to the injury of the 
United States, shall be imprisoned not more than ten 
years. 
‘‘§ 924. Conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure 
persons or damage property in a foreign 
country 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE AGAINST PERSONS.— 
‘‘(1) ELEMENTS.—Whoever, within the jurisdic-
tion of the United States, conspires with one or 
more other persons, regardless of where such other 
person or persons are located, to commit at any 
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PWALKER on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
705 
place outside the United States an act that would 
constitute the offense of murder, kidnapping, or 
maiming if committed in the special maritime and 
territorial jurisdiction of the United States shall, if 
any of the conspirators commits an act within the 
jurisdiction of the United States to effect any object 
of the conspiracy, be punished as provided in para-
graph (2). 
‘‘(2) PUNISHMENT.—The punishment for an offense 
under paragraph (1) is— 
‘‘(A) imprisonment for any term of years or for 
life if the offense is conspiracy to murder or kidnap; 
and 
‘‘(B) imprisonment for not more than 35 years 
if the offense is conspiracy to maim. 
‘‘(b) OFFENSE AGAINST PROPERTY.—Whoever, with-
in the jurisdiction of the United States, conspires with one 
or more persons, regardless of where such other person 
or persons are located, to damage or destroy specific prop-
erty situated within a foreign country and belonging to 
a foreign government or to any political subdivision there-
of with which the United States is at peace, or any rail-
road, canal, bridge, airport, airfield, or other public utility, 
public conveyance, or public structure, or any religious, 
educational, or cultural property so situated, shall, if any 
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706 
of the conspirators commits an act within the jurisdiction 
of the United States to effect any object of the conspiracy, 
be imprisoned not more than 25 years. 
‘‘§ 925. Enlistment in foreign service 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Whoever, within the United States, 
enlists or enters himself, or hires or retains another to 
enlist or enter himself, or to go beyond the jurisdiction 
of the United States with intent to be enlisted or entered 
in the service of any foreign prince, state, colony, district, 
or people as a soldier or as a marine or seaman on board 
any vessel of war, letter of marque, or privateer, shall be 
imprisoned not more than three years. 
‘‘(b) EXCLUSIONS.— 
‘‘(1) This section does not apply to citizens or 
subjects of any country engaged in war with a coun-
try with which the United States is at war, unless 
such citizen or subject of such foreign country shall 
hire or solicit a citizen of the United States to enlist 
or go beyond the jurisdiction of the United States 
with intent to enlist or enter the service of a foreign 
country. Enlistments under this subsection shall be 
under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the 
Army. 
‘‘(2) This section and section 926 do not apply 
to any subject or citizen of any foreign prince, state, 
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707 
colony, district, or people who is transiently within 
the United States and enlists or enters himself on 
board any vessel of war, letter of marque, or pri-
vateer, which at the time of its arrival within the 
United States was fitted and equipped as such, or 
hires or retains another subject or citizen of the 
same foreign prince, state, colony, district, or people 
who is transiently within the United States to enlist 
or enter himself to serve such foreign prince, state, 
colony, district, or people on board such vessel of 
war, letter of marque, or privateer, if the United 
States shall then be at peace with such foreign 
prince, state, colony, district, or people. 
‘‘§ 926. Expedition against friendly nation 
‘‘Whoever, within the United States, knowingly be-
gins or sets on foot or provides or prepares a means for 
or furnishes the money for, or takes part in, any military 
or naval expedition or enterprise to be carried on from 
thence against the territory or dominion of any foreign 
prince or state, or of any colony, district, or people with 
whom the United States is at peace, shall be imprisoned 
not more than three years. 
‘‘§ 927. Detention of armed vessel 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY OF PRESIDENT.—During a war in 
which the United States is a neutral nation, the President, 
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or any person authorized by him, may detain any armed 
vessel owned wholly or in part by citizens of the United 
States, or any vessel, domestic or foreign (other than one 
which has entered the ports of the United States as a pub-
lic vessel), which is manifestly built for warlike purposes 
or has been converted or adapted from a private vessel 
to one suitable for warlike use, until the owner or master, 
or person having charge of such vessel, shall furnish proof 
satisfactory to the President, or to the person duly author-
ized by him, that the vessel will not be employed to cruise 
against or commit or attempt to commit hostilities upon 
the subjects, citizens, or property of any foreign prince 
or state, or of any colony, district, or people with which 
the United States is at peace, and that the said vessel 
will not be sold or delivered to any belligerent nation, or 
to an agent, officer, or citizen of such nation, by them 
or any of them, within the jurisdiction of the United 
States, or upon the high seas. 
‘‘(b) OFFENSE.—Whoever, in violation of this section 
takes, or attempts to take, or authorizes the taking of any 
such vessel, out of port or from the United States, shall 
be imprisoned not more than ten years. 
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‘‘§ 928. Protection of property occupied by foreign 
governments 
‘‘(a) PROPERTY OFFENSE.—Whoever knowingly in-
jures, damages, or destroys, or attempts to injure, dam-
age, or destroy, any property, real or personal, located 
within the United States and belonging to or utilized or 
occupied by any foreign government or international orga-
nization, by a foreign official or official guest, shall be im-
prisoned not more than five years. 
‘‘(b) THREAT AND HARASSMENT OFFENSE.—Who-
ever, knowingly with intent to intimidate, coerce, threaten, 
or harass— 
‘‘(1) forcibly thrusts any part of himself or any 
object within or upon that portion of any building or 
premises located within the United States, which 
portion is used or occupied for official business or 
for diplomatic, consular, or residential purposes 
by— 
‘‘(A) a foreign government, including such 
use as a mission to an international organiza-
tion; 
‘‘(B) an international organization; 
‘‘(C) a foreign official; or 
‘‘(D) an official guest; or 
‘‘(2) refuses to depart from such portion of 
such building or premises after a request— 
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‘‘(A) by an employee of a foreign govern-
ment or of an international organization, if 
such employee is authorized to make such re-
quest by the senior official of the unit of such 
government or organization which occupies such 
portion of such building or premises; 
‘‘(B) by a foreign official or any member 
of the foreign official’s staff who is authorized 
by the foreign official to make such request; 
‘‘(C) by an official guest or any member of 
the official guest’s staff who is authorized by 
the official guest to make such request; or 
‘‘(D) by any person present having law en-
forcement powers; 
shall be imprisoned not more than six months. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the 
terms ‘foreign government’, ‘foreign official’, ‘inter-
national organization’, and ‘official guest’ have the same 
meanings as those provided in section 136. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER G—POSTAL SERVICE 
‘‘941. Obstruction of mails generally. 
‘‘942. Obstruction of correspondence. 
‘‘943. Delay or destruction of mail or newspapers. 
‘‘944. Keys or locks stolen or reproduced. 
‘‘945. Destruction of letter boxes or mail. 
‘‘946. Theft of property used by Postal Service. 
‘‘947. Theft or receipt of stolen mail matter generally. 
‘‘948. Theft of mail matter by officer or employee. 
‘‘949. Misappropriation of postal funds. 
‘‘950. Injurious articles as nonmailable. 
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‘‘951. Tobacco products as nonmailable. 
‘‘952. Franking privilege. 
‘‘§ 941. Obstruction of mails generally 
‘‘Whoever knowingly obstructs the passage of the 
mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall 
be imprisoned not more than six months. 
‘‘§ 942. Obstruction of correspondence 
‘‘Whoever takes any letter, postal card, or package 
out of any post office or any authorized depository for mail 
matter, or from any letter or mail carrier, or which has 
been in any post office or authorized depository, or in the 
custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it has been 
delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with in-
tent to obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the 
business or secrets of another, or opens, secretes, embez-
zles, or destroys the same, shall be imprisoned not more 
than five years. 
‘‘§ 943. Delay or destruction of mail or newspapers 
‘‘(a) MAIL MATTER.—Whoever, being a Postal Serv-
ice officer or employee, unlawfully secretes, destroys, de-
tains, delays, or opens any letter, postal card, package, 
bag, or mail entrusted to that officer or employee or which 
shall come into his or her possession, and which was in-
tended to be conveyed by mail, or carried or delivered by 
any carrier or other employee of the Postal Service, or for-
warded through or delivered from any post office or sta-
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tion thereof established by authority of the Postmaster 
General or the Postal Service, shall be imprisoned not 
more than five years. 
‘‘(b) NEWSPAPER.—Whoever, being a Postal Service 
officer or employee, improperly detains, delays, or destroys 
any newspaper, or permits any other person to detain, 
delay, or destroy the same, or opens, or permits any other 
person to open, any mail or package of newspapers not 
directed to the office where he is employed. 
‘‘(c) BY ANY PERSON.—Whoever, without authority, 
opens or destroys any mail or package of newspapers not 
directed to him, shall be imprisoned not more than one 
year. 
‘‘§ 944. Keys or locks stolen or reproduced 
‘‘Whoever— 
‘‘(1) steals, purloins, embezzles, or obtains by 
false pretense any key suited to any lock adopted by 
the Post Office Department or the Postal Service 
and in use on any of the mails or bags thereof, or 
any key to any lock box, lock drawer, or other au-
thorized receptacle for the deposit or delivery of mail 
matter; 
‘‘(2) knowingly and unlawfully makes, forges, 
or counterfeits any such key, or possesses any such 
mail lock or key with the intent unlawfully or im-
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713 
properly to use, sell, or otherwise dispose of the 
same, or to cause the same to be unlawfully or im-
properly used, sold, or otherwise disposed of; or 
‘‘(3) being engaged as a contractor or otherwise 
in the manufacture of any such mail lock or key, de-
livers any finished or unfinished lock or the interior 
part thereof, or key, used or designed for use by the 
department, to any person not duly authorized under 
the hand of the Postmaster General and the seal of 
the Post Office Department or the Postal Service, to 
receive the same, unless the person receiving it is the 
contractor for furnishing the same or engaged in the 
manufacture thereof in the manner authorized by 
the contract, or the agent of such manufacturer; 
shall be imprisoned not more than ten years. 
‘‘§ 945. Destruction of letter boxes or mail 
‘‘Whoever knowingly injures, tears down, or destroys 
any letter box or other receptacle intended or used for the 
receipt or delivery of mail on any mail route, or breaks 
open the same or knowingly injures, defaces, or destroys 
any mail deposited therein, shall be imprisoned not more 
than three years. 
‘‘§ 946. Theft of property used by Postal Service 
‘‘Whoever steals, purloins, or embezzles any property 
used by the Postal Service, or appropriates any such prop-
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714 
erty to any other than its proper use, or conveys away 
any such property to the hindrance or detriment of the 
public service, shall be imprisoned not more than three 
years, but if the value of such property does not exceed 
$1,000, the offender shall be imprisoned not more than 
one year. 
‘‘§ 947. Theft or receipt of stolen mail matter gen-
erally 
‘‘Whoever— 
‘‘(1) steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or 
deception obtains, or attempts so to obtain, from or 
out of any mail, post office, or station thereof, letter 
box, mail receptacle, or any mail route or other au-
thorized depository for mail matter, or from a letter 
or mail carrier, any letter, postal card, package, bag, 
or mail, or abstracts or removes from any such let-
ter, package, bag, or mail, any article or thing con-
tained therein, or secretes, embezzles, or destroys 
any such letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, 
or any article or thing contained therein; 
‘‘(2) steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or 
deception obtains any letter, postal card, package, 
bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained there-
in which has been left for collection upon or adjacent 
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to a collection box or other authorized depository of 
mail matter; or 
‘‘(3) buys, receives, or conceals, or unlawfully 
has in his possession, any letter, postal card, pack-
age, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained 
therein, which has been so stolen, taken, embezzled, 
or abstracted, as herein described, knowing the same 
to have been stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted; 
shall be imprisoned not more than five years. 
‘‘§ 948. Theft of mail matter by officer or employee 
‘‘Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, 
embezzles any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, 
or any article or thing contained therein entrusted to him 
or which comes into his possession intended to be conveyed 
by mail, or carried or delivered by any carrier, messenger, 
agent, or other person employed in any department of the 
Postal Service, or forwarded through or delivered from 
any post office or station thereof established by authority 
of the Postmaster General or of the Postal Service; or 
steals, abstracts, or removes from any such letter, pack-
age, bag, or mail, any article or thing contained therein, 
shall be imprisoned not more than five years. 
‘‘§ 949. Misappropriation of postal funds 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—Whoever, being a Postal Service of-
ficer or employee, loans, uses, pledges, hypothecates, or 
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converts to his own use, or deposits in any bank, or ex-
changes for other funds or property, except as authorized 
by law, any money or property coming into his hands or 
under his control in any manner, in the execution or under 
color of his office, employment, or service, whether or not 
the same shall be the money or property of the United 
States; or fails or refuses to remit to or deposit in the 
Treasury of the United States or in a designated deposi-
tory, or to account for or turn over to the proper officer 
or agent, any such money or property, when required to 
do so by law or the regulations of the Postal Service, or 
upon demand or order of the Postal Service, either directly 
or through a duly authorized officer or agent, is guilty 
of embezzlement; and every such person, as well as every 
other person advising or knowingly participating therein, 
shall be imprisoned not more than ten years; but if the 
amount or value thereof does not exceed $1,000, he shall 
be imprisoned not more than one year. 
‘‘(b) EXCLUSION.—This section does not prohibit any 
Postal Service officer or employee from depositing, under 
the direction of the Postal Service, in a national bank des-
ignated by the Secretary of the Treasury for that purpose, 
to his own credit as Postal Service officer or employee any 
funds in his charge, nor prevent his negotiating drafts or 
other evidences of debt through such bank, or through 
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United States disbursing officers, or otherwise, when in-
structed or required so to do by the Postal Service, for 
the purpose of remitting surplus funds from one post of-
fice to another. 
‘‘§ 950. Injurious articles as nonmailable 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—All kinds of poison, and all arti-
cles and compositions containing poison, and all poisonous 
animals, insects, reptiles, and all explosives, inflammable 
materials, infernal machines, and mechanical, chemical, or 
other devices or compositions which may ignite or explode, 
including firearms, and all disease germs or scabs, and 
all other natural or artificial articles, compositions, or ma-
terial which may kill or injure another, or injure the mails 
or other property, whether or not sealed as first-class mat-
ter, are nonmailable matter and shall not be conveyed in 
the mails or delivered from any post office or station 
thereof, nor by any officer or employee of the Postal Serv-
ice. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTIONS.—The Postal Service may permit 
the transmission in the mails, under such rules and regu-
lations as it shall prescribe as to preparation and packing, 
of any such articles which are not outwardly or of their 
own force dangerous or injurious to life, health, or prop-
erty. 
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‘‘(c) SCORPIONS.—The Postal Service is authorized 
and directed to permit the transmission in the mails, 
under regulations to be prescribed by it, of live scorpions 
which are to be used for purposes of medical research or 
for the manufacture of antivenom. Such regulations shall 
include such provisions with respect to the packaging of 
such live scorpions for transmission in the mails as the 
Postal Service deems necessary or desirable for the protec-
tion of Postal Service personnel and of the public generally 
and for ease of handling by such personnel and by any 
individual connected with such research or manufacture. 
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to authorize 
the transmission in the mails of live scorpions by means 
of aircraft engaged in the carriage of passengers for com-
pensation or hire. 
‘‘(d) POISONOUS
DRUGS
AND
MEDICINES.—The 
transmission in the mails of poisonous drugs and medi-
cines may be limited by the Postal Service to shipments 
of such articles from the manufacturer thereof or dealer 
therein to licensed physicians, surgeons, dentists, phar-
macists, druggists, cosmetologists, barbers, and veterinar-
ians under such rules and regulations as it shall prescribe. 
‘‘(e) POISONS
FOR SCIENTIFIC USE.—The trans-
mission in the mails of poisons for scientific use, and 
which are not outwardly dangerous or of their own force 
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dangerous or injurious to life, health, or property, may 
be limited by the Postal Service to shipments of such arti-
cles between the manufacturers thereof, dealers therein, 
bona fide research or experimental scientific laboratories, 
and such other persons who are employees of the Federal, 
a State, or local government, whose official duties are 
comprised, in whole or in part, of the use of such poisons, 
and who are designated by the head of the agency in which 
they are employed to receive or send such articles, under 
such rules and regulations as the Postal Service shall pre-
scribe. 
‘‘(f) INTOXICATING LIQUORS.—All spirituous, vinous, 
malted, fermented, or other intoxicating liquors of any 
kind are nonmailable and shall not be deposited in or car-
ried through the mails. 
‘‘(g) KNIVES.—All knives having a blade which opens 
automatically (1) by hand pressure applied to a button 
or other device in the handle of the knife, or (2) by oper-
ation of inertia, gravity, or both, are nonmailable and shall 
not be deposited in or carried by the mails or delivered 
by any officer or employee of the Postal Service. Such 
knives may be conveyed in the mails, under such regula-
tions as the Postal Service shall prescribe— 
‘‘(1) to civilian or Armed Forces supply or pro-
curement officers and employees of the Federal Gov-
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ernment ordering, procuring, or purchasing such 
knives in connection with the activities of the Fed-
eral Government; 
‘‘(2) to supply or procurement officers of the 
National Guard, the Air National Guard, or militia 
of a State ordering, procuring, or purchasing such 
knives in connection with the activities of such orga-
nizations; 
‘‘(3) to supply or procurement officers or em-
ployees of any State, or any political subdivision of 
a State, ordering, procuring, or purchasing such 
knives in connection with the activities of such gov-
ernment; and 
‘‘(4) to manufacturers of such knives or bona 
fide dealers therein in connection with any shipment 
made pursuant to an order from any person des-
ignated in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3). 
The Postal Service may require, as a condition of con-
veying any such knife in the mails, that any person pro-
posing to mail such knife explain in writing to the satisfac-
tion of the Postal Service that the mailing of such knife 
will not be in violation of this section. 
‘‘(h) ADVERTISING, PROMOTIONAL, OR SALES MAT-
TER.—Any advertising, promotional, or sales matter which 
solicits or induces the mailing of anything declared non-
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the termination of such person’s employment by the 
committee or joint committee (as the case may be), 
on behalf of any other person (except the United 
States) in connection with any matter on which such 
former employee seeks action by a Member, officer, 
or employee of either House of Congress, in his or 
her official capacity, shall be punished as provided in 
section 1004. 
‘‘(5) LEADERSHIP STAFF.—(A) Any person who 
is an employee on the leadership staff of the House 
of Representatives to whom paragraph (7)(A) ap-
plies and who, within 1 year after the termination 
of that person’s employment on such staff, know-
ingly makes, with the intent to influence, any com-
munication to or appearance before any of the per-
sons described in subparagraph (B), on behalf of 
any other person (except the United States) in con-
nection with any matter on which such former em-
ployee seeks action by a Member, officer, or em-
ployee of either House of Congress, in his or her of-
ficial capacity, shall be punished as provided in sec-
tion 1004. 
‘‘(B) The persons referred to in subparagraph 
(A) with respect to appearances or communications 
by a former employee are any Member of the leader-
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