An act to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a criminal penalty for threats against former Presidents, major Presidential candidates, and certain other persons protected by the Secret Service, and for other purposes.
PL 97-297 (H.R.6168), enacted 10/12/1982

PUBLIC LAW 97-297—OCT. 12, 1982 
96 STAT. 1317 
Public Law 97-297 
97th Congress 
An Act 
Oct. 12, 1982 
[H.R. 6168] 
Threats against 
former 
Presidents and 
certain other 
persons, 
criminal 
penalty. 
18 use 879. 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a criminal penalty for threats 
against former Presidents, major Presidential candidates, and certain other per-
sons protected by the Secret Service, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States ofAtnerica in Congress assembled, That (a) chapter 41 
of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
"§879. Threats against former Presidents and certain other per-
sons protected by the Secret Service 
"(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully threatens to kill, kidnap, or 
inflict bodily harm upon— 
"(1) a former President or a member of the immediate family 
of a former President; 
"(2) a member of the immediate family of the President, the 
President-elect, the Vice President, or the Vice President-elect; 
or 
"(3) a major candidate for the office of President or Vice 
President, or the spouse of such candidate; 
who is protected by the Secret Service as provided by law, shall be 
fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than three years, 
or both. 
"(b) As used in this section— 
Definitions. 
"(1) the term 'immediate family' means— 
"(A) with respect to subsection (aXD of this section, the 
wife of a former President during his lifetime, the widow of 
a former President until her death or remarriage, and 
minor children of a former President until they reach 
sixteen years of age; and 
"(B) with respect to subsection (aX2) of this section, a 
person to whom the President, President-elect, Vice Presi-
dent, or Vice President-elect— 
"(i) is related by blood, marriage, or adoption; or 
"(ii) stands in loco parentis; 
"(2) the term 'major candidate for the office of President or 
Vice President' means a candidate referred to in the first 
section of the joint resolution entitled 'Joint resolution to 
authorize the United States Secret Service to furnish protection 
to major Presidential or Vice Presidential candidates', approved 
June 6,1968 (18 U.S.C. 3056 note); and 
"(3) the terms 'President-elect' and 'Vice President-elect' have 
the meanings given those terms in section 871(b) of this title.". 18 use 871. 
(b) TTie table of sections for chapter 41 of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item: 
'879. Threats against former Presidents and certain other persons protected by the 
Secret Service.". 
96 STAT. 1318 
PUBLIC LAW 97-297—OCT. 12, 1982 
SEC. 2. Section 871(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after "to take the life o f the following: ", to kidnap,". 
SEC. 3. The sentence beginning "Subject to the direction" in 
section 3056(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking out "and 871 of this title" and inserting in lieu 
thereof "871, and 879 of this title"; and 
(2) by striking out ", joint-stock land banks and Federal land 
bank associations are concerned, of sections 218, 221" and 
inserting in lieu thereof "and Federal land bank associations 
are concerned, of sections 213, 216". 
SEC. 4. (a) Section 1013 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
by striking out ", or by any joint-stock land bank or banks". 
(b) Section 1014 of such title is amended by striking out "a joint-
stock land bank,". 
(c) Section 1907 of such title is amended by striking out ", Federal 
land bank, or joint-stock land bank" and inserting in lieu thereof 
"or Federal land bank". 
Approved October 12, 1982. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 6168: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 97-725 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 128 (1982): 
Aug. 16, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 28, considered and passed Senate.