Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-1582
Sponsor: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-29]
Introduced: 2007-03-20 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Conferences
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Conspiracy
Crime prevention
Criminal investigation
Criminal justice information
Criminal statistics
Criminology
Data banks
Department of Justice
Drug abuse
Drug law enforcement
Drug traffic
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Electronic surveillance
Elementary and secondary education
Evidence (Law)
Extradition
Families
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Federal aid to law enforcement
Firearms
Gangs
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Higher education
Homicide
Illegal aliens
Immigration
Indian law enforcement
Juvenile delinquency
Kidnapping
Law
Legal education
Limitation of actions
Minorities
Missing children
Murder
Organized crime
Prosecution
Public prosecutors
Public service advertising
Science, Technology, Communications
Sentences (Criminal procedure)
Sentencing guidelines
Social Welfare
Student records
Terrorism
U.S. Sentencing Commission
Violence
Witnesses
Youth services
Youth violence

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-20
text: 
Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to define &quot;criminal street gang&quot; and &quot;gang crime&quot; and to prohibit: (1) the commission of a gang crime or crime of violence to further the activities of a criminal street gang ; and (2) the recruitment of another person to join a criminal street gang.

 Increases criminal penalties for: (1) certain violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity; (2) possession of firearms by repeat offenders; and (3) crimes of violence and drug trafficking crimes committed by illegal aliens. Provides for criminal forfeiture of any property used to commit a gang crime 

Amends the Controlled Substances Act to impose criminal penalties for murder and other violent crimes committed in the course of a drug trafficking crime.

Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) designate certain areas in states as high intensity interstate gang activity areas and to provide assistance to such areas; (2) expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to require U.S. attorneys to prosecute criminal street gangs operating in their districts; (3) require the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to increase funding for the Safe Streets Programs and support criminal street gang enforcement teams; (4) conduct media campaigns in high intensity interstate gang activity areas to educate the public about efforts to combat criminal gang activities; and (5) make grants to states to prevent abductions of children by family members.

Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize grants for technology and training to increase accurate identification of gang members and violent offenders.

Establishes in the U.S. Marshals Service a Short-Term Witness Protection Section to provide protection for witnesses in state and local trials involving homicide or other violent crimes. Expands the federal witness relocation and protection program to include protection against criminal street gangs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-04-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2007-03-20
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2007-03-20
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-03-20
text: Introduced in House