An Act to amend title 18 of the United States Code to prohibit deprivation of employment or other benefit for political contribution, and for other purposes.
PL 94-453 (H.R.11722), enacted 10/02/1976

90 STAT. 1516 
PUBLIC LAW 94-453—OCT. 2, 1976 
Public Law 94-453 
94th Congress 
Oct. 2, 1976 
[H.R. 11722] 
Political 
contributions. 
Employment 
deprivation, 
prohibition. 
Penalty, 
violation. 
Definitions. 
An Act 
To amend title 18 of the United States Code to prohibit deprivation of employ-
ment or other benefit for political contribution, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 601 of 
title 18 of the United States Code is amended to read as follows: 
"§601. Deprivation of employment or other benefit for political 
contribution 
"(a) Whoever, directly or indirectly, knowingly causes or attempts 
to cause any pei-son to make a contribution of a thing of value (includ-
ing services) for the benefit of any candidate or any political party, 
by means of the denial or deprivation, or the threat of the denial or 
deprivation, of— 
"(1) any employment, position, or work in or for any agency 
or other entity of the Government of the United States, a State, 
or a political subdivision of a State, or any compensation or bene-
fit of such employment, position, or work; or 
"(2) any payment or benefit of a program of the United States, 
a State, or a political subdivision of a State; 
if such employment, position, work, compensation, payment, or bene-
fit is provided for or made possible in whole or in part by an Act of 
Congress, shall be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned not more 
than one year, or both. 
"(b) As used in this section— 
"(1) the term 'candidate' means an individual who seeks nomi-
nation for election, or election, to Federal, State, or local office, 
whether or not such individual is elected, and, for purposes of 
this paragraph, an individual shall be deemed to seek nomina-
tion for election, or election, to Federal, State, or local office, if 
he has (A) taken the action necessary under the law of a State 
to qualify himself for nomination for election, or election, or (B) 
received contributions or made expenditures, or has given his con-
sent for any other person to i-eceive contributions or make expend-
itures, with a view to bringing about his nomination for election, 
or election, to such office; 
"(2) the term 'election' means (A) a general, special primary, 
or runoff election, (B) a convention or caucus of a political party 
held to nominate a candidate, (C) a primary election held for the 
selection of delegates to a nominating convention of a political 
party, (D) a primary election held for the expression of a prefer-
ence for the nomination of persons for election to the office of 
President, and (E) the election of delegates to a constitutional 
convention for proposing amendments to the Constitution of the 
United States or of any State; and 
"(3) the term 'State' means a State of the United States, the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any 
territory or possession of the United States.". 
PUBLIC LAW 94-453—OCT. 2, 1976 
90 STAT. 1517 
SEC. 2. The item relating to section 601 in the table of sections for 
chapter 29 of title 18 of the United States Code is amended to read as 
follows: 
"601. Deprivation of employment or other benefit for political contribution.". 
SEC. 3. Section 600 of title 18 of the United States Code is amended 
by striking out "$1,000" and inserting "$10,000" in lieu thereof. 
SEC. 4. (a) Chapter 13 of title 18 of the United States Code is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
"§ 246. Deprivation of relief benefits 
18 USC 246. 
"Whoever directly or indirectly deprives, attempts to deprive, or 
threatens to deprive any person of any employment, position, work, 
compensation, or other benefit provided for or made possible in whole 
or in part by any Act of Congress appropriating funds for work relief 
or relief purposes, on account of political affiliation, race, color, sex, 
religion, or national origin, shall be fined not more than $10,000, or 
imprisoned not more than one year, or both.". 
(b) The table of sections for chapter 13 of title 18 of the United 
States Code is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new 
item: 
"246. Deprivation of relief benefits.". 
Approved October 2, 1976. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 94-986 (Coram, on the Judiciary). 
SENATE REPORT No. 94-1245 (Coram, on the Judiciary). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 122 (1976): 
Apr. 5, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate, araended. 
Sept. 22, House concurred in Senate amendments.