Violent Crime Control Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1860
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2007-07-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Armed Forces and National Security
Capital punishment
Child pornography
Child sexual abuse
Compensation for victims of crime
Computer crimes
Conspiracy
Criminal aliens
Drug abuse
Drug law enforcement
Drug traffic
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal aid to law enforcement
Firearms
Food stamps
Forfeiture
Fraud
Gangs
Illegal aliens
Immigration
Imprisonment
Intellectual property
International Affairs
Juvenile delinquency
Larceny
Law
Limitation of actions
Mandatory sentences
Military training
Money laundering
Murder
Organized crime
Prosecution
Public prosecutors
Science, Technology, Communications
Sentences (Criminal procedure)
Smuggling
Social Welfare
Terrorism
Violence
Weapons of mass destruction

Summary:
action_date: 2007-07-24
text: 
Violent Crime Control Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to increase or impose new criminal penalties for: (1) the use of firearms to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime; (2) interstate transportation in aid of racketeering; (3) using interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire and other violent crimes; and (4) violent crimes and drug crimes committed by illegal aliens.

Extends the limitation period for prosecuting violent crimes and crimes of terrorism. 

Death Penalty Procedures Improvement Act of 2007 - Revises death penalty hearing procedures and provisions for the implementation of the death sentence.

Imposes a minimum mandatory prison term for possession of child pornography. Increases criminal penalties for sexual exploitation of children and child pornography.

Proceeds of Crime Act of 2007 - Expands criminal forfeiture provisions to include certain crimes involving terrorism, fraud and computer crimes, alien smuggling, food stamp fraud, intellectual property theft, contraband cigarettes, and trafficking in persons. Expands prohibitions against money laundering activities. Revises civil forfeiture provisions.

Controlled Substances Analogue Reform Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to redefine &quot;controlled substance analogue&quot; for purposes of criminal prohibitions against trafficking in certain substances whose chemical structures are substantially similar to substances in schedule I or II of such Act. 

Imposes mandatory restitution for victims of violent crime.

Imposes or increases criminal penalties for certain crimes of terrorism, including providing material support to facilitate, reward, or encourage international acts of terrorism, attempts or conspiracies to obtain military-type training from a foreign terrorism organization, and terrorist offenses resulting in death. Authorizes the death penalty for certain terrorist offenses involving weapons of mass destruction.

Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2007 - Revises criminal penalties for and definitions relating to crimes committed by criminal street gangs, including interstate travel in aid of racketeering, murder for hire, drug trafficking, use of firearms in committing violent crimes, and use of interstate commerce facilities to commit multiple murder.

Amends: (1) the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to expand the definition of &quot;racketeering activity&quot; to include interstate murder; and (2) the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize the use of community-based justice grants to hire additional prosecutors to reduce case backlogs and to assist in the accurate identification and successful prosecution of young violent offenders.

Authorizes the Attorney General to designate specific areas that are located within one or more states as high intensity interstate gang activity areas.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-07-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2007-07-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9834)
action_date: 2007-07-24
text: Introduced in Senate