An Act to amend title 18, United States Code, to implement the "Convention To Prevent and Punish the Acts of Terrorism Taking the Form of Crimes Against Persons and Related Extortion That Are of International Significance" and the "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internationally Protected Persons, Including Diplomatic Agents", and for other purposes.
PL 94-467 (H.R.15552), enacted 10/08/1976

PUBLIC LAW 94-467—OCT. 8, 1976 
90 STAT. 19!)7 
Public Law 94-467 
94th Congress 
An Act 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to Implement the "Convention To Prevent 
and Punish the Acts of Terrorism Taking the Form of Crimes Against Persons 
and Related Extortion That Are of International Significance" and the 
"Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internation-
ally Protected Persons, Including Diplomatic Agents", and for other purposes. 
Be it eimcted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be 
cited as the "Act for the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against 
Internationally Protected Persons". 
SEC. 2. Section 1116 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
'^§1116. Murder or manslaughter of foreign officials, official 
guests, or internationally protected persons 
" (a) Whoever kills or attempts to kill a forei^ official, official guest, 
or internationally protected person shall be punished as provided under 
sections 1111,1112, and 1113 of this title, except that any such person 
who is found guilty of murder in the first degree shall be sentenced to 
imprisonment for life, and anj^ such person who is found guilty of 
attempted murder shall be imprisoned for not more than twenty years. 
"(b) For the purposes of this section: 
"(1) 'Family' includes (a) a spouse, parent, brother or sister, 
child, or person to whom the foreign official or internationally pro-
tected person stands in loco parentis, or (b) any other person living 
in his household and related to the foreign official or interna-
tionally protected person by blood or marriage. 
"(2) 'Foreign government' means the government of a foreign 
country, irrespective of recognition by the United States. 
"(5) 'Foreign official'means— 
" (A) a Chief of State or the political equivalent. President, 
Vice President, Prime Minister, Ambassador, Foreign Min-
ister, or other officer of Cabinet rank or above of a foreign 
government or the chief executive officer of an international 
organization, or any person who has previously served in such 
Capacity, and any member of his family, while in the United 
States; and 
"(B) any person of a foreign nationality who is duly 
notified to the United States as an officer or employee of a 
foreign government or international organization, and who is 
in the United States on official business, and any member of 
his family whose presence in the United States is in connec-
tion with the presence of such officer or employee. 
"(4) 'Internationally protected person'means-j-
"(A) a Chief of State or the political equivalent, head of 
government, or Foreign Minister whenever such person is 
in a country other than his own and any member of his family 
accompanying him; or 
"(B) any other representative, officer, employee, or agent of 
the United States Government, a foreign government, or 
Oct. 8, 1976 
[H.R. 15552] 
Act for the 
Prevention and 
Punishment of 
Crimes Againsit 
IntemationaUy 
Protected 
Persons. 
18 use 112 
note. 
18 use 1111-
1113. 
Definitions. 
90 STAT. 1998 
PUBLIC LAW 94-467—OCT. 8, 1976 
18 use 5, 7. 
Assistance for 
Attorney 
General. 
Ante, p. 1997. 
Punishment. 
Jurisdiction. 
18 u s e 5, 7. 
Assistance for 
Attorney 
General. 
international organization who at the time and place 
concerned is entitled pursuant to international law to special 
protection against attack upon his person, freedom, or dignity, 
and any member of his family then forming part of his 
household. 
"(5) 'International organization' means a public international 
organization designated as such pursuant to section 1 of the Inter-
national Organizations Immunities Act (22 U.S.C. 288). 
"(6) 'Official guest' means a citizen or national of a foreign 
country present in the United States as an official guest of the 
Government of the United States pursuant to designation as such 
by the Secretary of State. 
"(c) If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an interna-
tionally protected person, the United States may exercise jurisdiction 
over the offense if the alleged offender is present within the United 
States, irrespective of the place where the offense was committed or 
the nationality of the victim or the alleged offender. As used in this 
subsection, the United States includes all areas under the jurisdiction 
of the United States including any of the places within the provisions 
of sections 5 and 7 of this title and section 101(34) of the Federal 
Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1301 (34)). 
"(d) In the course of enforcement of this section and any other 
sections prohibiting a conspiracy or attempt to violate this section, 
the Attorney Greneral may request assistance from any Federal, State, 
or local agency, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, any statute, 
rule, or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding.". 
SEC. 3. The analysis at the beginning of chapter 51 of title 18, United 
States Code, relating to section 1116 is amended to read as follows: 
"1116. Murder or manslaughter of foreign oflScials, oflacial guests, or inter-
nationally protected persons.". 
SEC. 4. Section 1201 of title 18, United States Code, is amended as 
follows: 
(a) by deleting subsection (a) (4) and inserting in lieu thereof 
the following: 
"(4) the person is a foreign official, an internationally protected 
person, or an official guest as those terms are defined in section 
11-16 (b) of this title,"; and 
(b) by adding at the end thereof new subsections (d), (e), and 
(f) as follows: 
"(d) Whoever attempts to violate subsection (a)(4) shall be 
punished by imprisonment for not more than twenty years. 
"(e) If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an interna-
tionally protected person, the United States may exercise jurisdiction 
over the offense if the alleged offender is present within the United 
States, irrespective of the place where the offense was committed or 
the nationality of the victim or the alleged offender. As used in this 
subsection, the United States includes all areas under the jurisdiction 
of the United States including any of the places within the provisions 
of sections 5 and 7 of this title and section 101(34) of the Federal 
Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1301(34)). 
"(f) In the course of enforcement of subsection (a)(4) and any 
other sections prohibiting a conspiracy or attempt to violate subsection 
(a) (4), the Attorney General may request assistance from any Fed-
eral, State, or local agency, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, 
any statute, rule, or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding.". 
PUBLIC LAW 94-467—OCT. 8, 1976 
90 STAT. 1999 
SEC. 5. Section 112 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to read 
as follows: 
^'§112. Protection of foreign officials, official guests, and inter-
nationally protected persons 
" (a) Whoever assaults, strikes, wounds, imprisons, or offers violence 
to a foreign official, official guest, or internationally protected person or 
makes any other violent attack upon the person or liberty of such 
person, or, if likely to endanger his person or liberty, makes a violent 
attack upon his official premises, private accommodation, or means of 
transport or attempts to commit any of the foregoing shall be fined 
not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. 
Whoever in the commission of any such act uses a deadly or dangerous 
weapon shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more 
than ten years, or both. 
"(b) Whoever willfully— 
" (1) intimidates, coerces, threatens, or harasses a foreign official 
or an official guest or obstructs a foreign official in the performance 
of his duties; 
" (2) attempts to intimidate, coerce, threaten, or harass a foreign 
official or an official guest or obstruct a foreign official in the 
performance of his duties; or 
" (3) within the United States but outside the District of Colum-
bia and within one hundred feet of any building or premises in 
whole or in part owned, used, or occupied for official business or for 
diplomatic, consular, or residential purposes by— 
" (A) a foreign government, including such use as a mission 
to an international organization; 
"(B) an international organization; 
"(C) a foreign official; or 
"(D) an official guest; 
congregates with two or more other persons with intent to violate 
any other provision of this section; 
, 
shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than six 
months, or both. 
"(c) For the purpose of this section 'foreign government', 'foreign Definitions, 
official', 'internationally protected person', 'international organiza-
tion', and 'official guest' shall have the same meanings as those provided 
in section 1116 (b) of this title. 
"(d) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed or applied 
so as to abridge the exercise of rights guaranteed under the first 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States. 
"(e) If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an inter- Jurisdiction, 
nationally protected person, the United States may exercise juris-
diction over the offense if the alleged offender is present within 
the United States, irrespective of the place where the offense was 
committed or the nationality of the victim or the alleged offender. 
As used in this subsection, the United States includes all areas under 
the jurisdiction of the United States including any of the places within 
the provisions of sections 5 and 7 of this title and section 101 (34) of the 18 USC 5, 7. 
Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1301(34)). 
"(f) In the course of enforcement of subsection (a) and any other 
sections prohibiting a conspiracy or attempt to violate subsection (a), 
the Attorney General may request assistance from any Federal, State, 
or local agency, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, any statute, 
rule, or regulation to the contrary, notwithstanding.". 
Ante, p. 1997. 
Assistance for 
Attorney 
General. 
90 STAT. 2000 
PUBLIC LAW 94-467—OCT. 8, 1976 
SEC. 6. The analysis at the beginning of chapter 51 of title 18, 
United States Code, relating to section 112 is amended to read as 
follows: 
"112. Protection of foreign oflicials, official guests, and internationally protected 
persons.". 
SEC. 7. Section 970 of title 18, United States Code, is amended: 
(a) by relettering subsection "(b)" as subsection "(c)" and 
amending the subsection to read as follows: 
Definitions. 
"(c) For the purpose of this section 'foreign government', 'foreign 
official', 'international organization', and 'official guest' shall have the 
Ante,p. 1997. 
same meanings as those provided in section 1116(b) of this title."; 
and 
(b) by inserting a new subsection " (b)" as follows: 
"(b) Whoever, willfully with intent to intimidate, coerce, threaten, 
or harass— 
"(1) forcibly thrusts any part of himself or any object within 
or upon that portion of any building or premises located within 
the United States, which portion is used or occupied for official 
business or for diplomatic, consular, or residential purposes by— 
" (A) a foreign government, including such use as a mission 
to an international organization; 
"(B) an international organization; 
"(C) a foreign official; or 
"(D) an official guest; or 
"(2) refuses to depart from such portion of such building or 
premises after a request— 
"(A) by an employee of a foreign government or of an 
international organization, if such employee is authorized to 
make such request by the senior official of the unit of such 
government or organization which occupies such portion of 
such building or premises; 
"(B) by a foreign official or any member of the foreign 
official's staff who is authorized by the foreign official to make 
such request; 
"(C) by an official guest or any member of the official guest's 
staff who is authorized by the official guest to make such 
request; or 
"(D) by any person present having law enforcement 
powers; 
shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than six 
months, or both.". 
SEC. 8. Chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
adding a new section 878 as follows: 
18 use 878. 
"§ 878. Threats and extortion against foreign officials, official 
guests, or internationally protected persons 
"(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully threatens to violate section 
Ante, pp. 1997, 
112,1116, or 1201 by killing, kidnapping, or assaulting a foreign offi-
1999. 
cial, official guest, or internationally protected person shall be fined 
18 use 1201. 
not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or 
both, except that imprisonment for a threatened assault shall not 
exceed three years. 
"(b) Whoever in connection with any violation of subsection (a) 
or actual violation of section 112,1116, or 1201 makes any extortionate 
demand shall be fined not more than $20,000 or imprisoned not more 
than twenty years, or both. 
PUBLIC LAW 94^467—OCT. 8, 1976 
90 STAT. 2(301 
" (c) For the purpose of this section 'foreign official', 'internationally Definitions. 
protected person', and 'official guest' shall have the same meanings 
as those provided in section 1116(a) of this title. 
Ante, p. 1997. 
"(d) If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an inter-
nationally protected person, the United States may exercise jurisdic-
tion over the offense if the alleged offender is present within the United 
States, irrespective of the place where the offense was committed or 
the nationality of the victim or the alleged offender. As used in this 
subsection, the United States includes all areas under the jurisdiction 
of the United States including any of the places within the provisions 
of sections 5 and 7 of this title and section 101 (34) of the Federal Avia- 18 USC 5, 7. 
tion Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1301 (34)).". 
SEC. 9. The analysis of chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting at the end thereof the following new item: 
"878. Threat and extortion against foreign officials, official guests, and interna-
tionally protected persons.". 
SEC. 10. Nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to indicate 18 USC 112 mote, 
an intent on the part of Congress to occupy the field in which its pro-
visions operate to the exclusion of the laws of any State, Common-
wealth, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia, on the same 
subject matter, nor to relieve any person of any obligation imposed 
• - 
^ 
by anj law of any State, Commonwealth, territory, possession, or the 
District of Columbia, including the obligation of all persons having 
official law enforcement powers to take appropriate action, such as 
effecting arrests, for Federal as well as non-Federal violations. 
SEC. 11. Section 11 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after the word "title" the words "except in sections 112, 
878,970,1116, and 1201". 
Approved October 8, 1976. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 94-1614 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
SENATE REPORT No. 94-1273 accompanying S. 3646 (G)mm. on the Judiciary). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, VoL 122 (1976): 
Sept. 21, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 24, considered and passed Senate. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 12, No. 42: 
Oct. 10, Presidential statement.