Reducing Crime and Terrorism at America's Seaports Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-378
Sponsor: Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2005-02-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Air cargo
Aircraft
Armed Forces and National Security
Arson
Aviation safety
Biological warfare
Boats and boating
Bribery
Business records
Capital punishment
Chemical warfare
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Conspiracy
Criminal justice information
Destruction of property
Energy
Environmental Protection
Explosives
Extraterritoriality
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Freight
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Infrastructure
International Affairs
Jurisdiction
Labor and Employment
Labor disputes
Larceny
Law
Life imprisonment
Marine pollution
Marine safety
Marine terminals
Marine transportation
Navigational aids
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear terrorism
Oil pollution
Passenger ships
Radioactive wastes
Searches and seizures
Sentences (Criminal procedure)
Sentencing guidelines
Ships
Sports and Recreation
State laws
Terrorism
Transportation and Public Works
Transportation of hazardous substances
Trucks
Violence
Water pollution control
Weapons

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: 
Reducing Crime and Terrorism at America's Seaports Act of 2005 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) entry by false pretenses to a secure area of a seaport; (2) knowingly failing to obey an order to heave to by an authorized federal officer; (3) forcibly interfering with an authorized law enforcement action or providing false information during a boarding; and (4) willfully disabling a passenger vehicle.
 
Sets penalties for knowingly and intentionally: (1) placing in U.S. navigable waters a device or substance likely to destroy or damage a vessel or its cargo or likely to interfere with safe navigation or maritime commerce; (2) discharging or releasing into U.S. navigable water or onto an adjoining shoreline any substance that would endanger human life, health, or welfare or the marine environment; and (3) transporting aboard any vessel explosive, biological, chemical, or radioactive or nuclear material to be used to commit terrorism.
 
Sets penalties for: (1) knowingly transporting aboard any vessel a terrorist or terror suspect; (2) willfully causing destruction of a vessel or maritime facility; and (3) imparting or conveying false information concerning an attempt made to commit certain criminal acts.
 
Expands the scope of a prohibition against theft of interstate or foreign shipments. Increases penalties for stowaways on vessels or aircraft. Prohibits bribery affecting port security.
 
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to increase penalties for noncompliance with manifest requirements and to expand the scope of those requirements to cover any responsible party, including non-vessel operating common carriers.

action_date: 2005-04-21
text: 
Reducing Crime and Terrorism at America's Seaports Act of 2005 - (Sec. 2) Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) entry by false pretenses to a secure area of a seaport; (2) knowingly failing to obey an order to heave to by an authorized federal law enforcement officer; (3) forcibly interfering with an authorized law enforcement action or providing materially false information during a boarding; and (4) willfully disabling a passenger vessel.
 
(Sec. 5) Sets penalties for knowingly and intentionally: (1) placing in U.S. navigable waters a device or dangerous substance likely to destroy or damage a vessel or its cargo or likely to interfere with safe navigation or maritime commerce (authorizes the death penalty if death results from such conduct); (2) discharging or releasing into U.S. navigable water or onto an adjoining shoreline any dangerous substance that would endanger human life, health, or welfare or the marine environment; and (3) transporting aboard any vessel explosive, biological, chemical, or radioactive or nuclear material to be used to commit terrorism (authorizes the death penalty if death results from such conduct).
 
Sets penalties for: (1) knowingly transporting aboard any vessel a terrorist or terror suspect; (2) willfully causing destruction of a vessel or maritime facility; and (3) imparting or conveying false information concerning an attempt made to commit certain criminal acts.
 
(Sec. 8) Expands the scope of a prohibition against theft of interstate or foreign shipments. Increases penalties for stowaways on vessels or aircraft. Prohibits bribery affecting port security.
 
(Sec. 9) Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to increase penalties for noncompliance with manifest requirements and to expand the scope of those requirements to cover any responsible party, including non-vessel operating common carriers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-04-21
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 86.
action_date: 2005-04-21
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Specter with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2005-04-21
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Specter with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2005-04-21
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1419)
action_date: 2005-02-15
text: Introduced in Senate