Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1145
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2011-06-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Department of Justice
Detention of persons
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Jurisdiction and venue
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: 
Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (CEJA) of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to grant jurisdiction over and impose penalties on federal contractors and employees who commit certain crimes outside of the United States while employed by or accompanying any agency of the United States other than the Department of Defense (DOD). Sets forth the crimes under federal law that are covered by this Act. Exempts an authorized intelligence activity that is carried out by or on behalf of any element of the intelligence community and conducted in accordance with law.
 
Directs the Attorney General to: (1) assign personnel and resources through task forces to investigate allegations of criminal offenses by federal contractors and employees overseas, and (2) report to Congress annually on the number of prosecutions and actions taken. Grants the Attorney General principal authority for the enforcement of this Act. 

Provides for an optional venue for offenses under this Act involving federal employees and contractors overseas in the district in which is headquartered the U.S. agency that: (1) employs the offender, or any one of two or more joint offenders; or (2) the offender is accompanying, or that any one of two or more joint offenders is accompanying.
 
Requires the statute of limitations for an offense under this Act to be computed without regard to any time the alleged offender is outside the United States or is a fugitive from justice.

action_date: 2011-06-23
text: 
Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2011 or the CEJA - (Sec. 2) Amends the federal criminal code to grant jurisdiction over and impose penalties on federal contractors and employees who commit certain crimes outside of the United States while employed by or accompanying any agency of the United States other than the Department of Defense (DOD). 
 
Sets forth the crimes under federal law that are covered by this Act, including: (1) arson, (2) bribery of public officials and witnesses, (3) use of a firearm in a violent or drug trafficking crime, (4) genocide, (5) murder, (6) kidnapping, (7) money laundering, (8) robbery or burglary, (9) sexual abuse, and (10) import or export of a controlled substance.
 
Provides for an optional venue for offenses under this Act involving overseas federal employees and contractors in the district in which is headquartered the U.S. agency that: (1) employs the offender, or any one of two or more joint offenders; or (2) the offender is accompanying, or that any one of two or more joint offenders is accompanying.
 
Suspends the running of the statute of limitations for any criminal offense involving a federal employee or contractor while the offender is outside the United States or is a fugitive from justice.
 
(Sec. 3) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) assign personnel and resources through task forces to investigate allegations of criminal offenses by federal contractors and employees, and (2) report annually on the number of prosecutions and actions taken. Grants the Attorney General principal authority for the enforcement of this Act. 
 
(Sec. 4) Makes this Act effective immediately upon the enactment date but gives the Attorney General and the head of any other federal agency to which this Act applies 90 days after that date to ensure compliance with its provisions.
 
(Sec. 5) Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit or affect: (1) the application of extraterritorial jurisdiction related to any other federal law, or (2) any authority or responsibility of a Chief of Mission as provided in the Foreign Service Act of 1980.
 
Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) apply to authorized intelligence activities that are carried out by an employee of, or by another person on behalf of, any element of the intelligence community, and authorized in a manner consistent with applicable U.S. law; or (2) provide immunity or an affirmative defense to an individual employed by or working on behalf of an element of the intelligence community for actions that are not an authorized intelligence activity.
 
(Sec. 6) Requires any amounts appropriated to carry out this Act to be from amounts which would otherwise have been available or appropriated to the Department of Justice (DOJ).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-23
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 84.
action_date: 2011-06-23
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2011-06-23
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2011-06-23
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3501-3502)
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3500-3501)
action_date: 2011-06-06
text: Introduced in Senate