An Act to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for the assassination of the President or the Vice President, and for other purposes
PL 89-141 (H.R.6097), enacted 08/28/1965

580 
PUBLIC LAW 89-141-AUG. 28, 1965 
[79 STAT. 
August 28, 1965 
[H. R. 6097] 
President or 
Vice President 
assassination 
penalties. 
62 Stat. 683. 
62 Stat. 756. 
Definitions. 
62 Stat. 672. 
Public Law 89-141 
AN ACT 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for the assassination 
of the President or the Vice President, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting immediately following section 
1734 thereof, a new chapter, as follows: 
"Chapter 84.—PRESIDENTIAL ASSASSINATION, KIDNAP-
ING, AND ASSAULT 
"§1751. Presidential 
assassination, 
kidnaping, 
and 
assault; 
penalties 
"(a) Whoever kills any individual who is the President of the 
United States, the President-elect, the Vice President, or, if there is 
no Vice President, the officer next in the order of succession to the 
oflGlce of President of the United States, the Vice-President-elect, or 
any individual who is acting as President under the Constitution and 
laws of the United States, shall be punished as provided by sections 
1111 and 1112 of this title. 
"(b) Whoever kidnaps any individual designated in subsection (a) 
of this section shall be punished (1) by imprisonment for any term 
of years or for life, or (2) by death or imprisonment for any term of 
years or for life, if death results to such individual. 
"(c) Whoever attempts to kill or kidnap any individual designated 
in subsection (a) of this section shall be punished by imprisonment 
for any term of years or for life. 
"(d) If two or more persons conspire to kill or kidnap any individ-
ual designated in subsection (a) of this section and one or more of 
such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each 
shall be punished (1) by imprisonment for any term of years or for 
life, or (2) by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for 
life, if death results to such individual. 
"(e) Whoever assaults any person designated in subsection (a) of 
this section shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not 
more than 10 years, or both. 
"(f) The terms 'President-elect' and 'Vice-President-elect' as used 
in this section shall mean such persons as are the apparent successful 
candidates for the offices of President and Vice President, respectively, 
as ascertained from the results of the general elections held to deter-
mine the electors of President and Vice President in accordance with 
title 3, United States Code, sections 1 and 2. 
"(g) The Attorney General of the United States, in his discretion, 
is authorized to pay an amount not to exceed $100,000 for information 
and services concerning a violation of this section. Any officer or em-
ployee of the United States or of any State or local government who 
furnishes information or renders service in the performance of his 
official duties shall not be eligible for payment under this subsection. 
"(h) If Federal investigative or prosecutive jurisdiction is asserted 
for a violation of this section, such assertion shall suspend the exercise 
of jurisdiction by a State or local authority, under any applicable 
State or local law, until Federal action is terminated. 
"(i) Violations of this section shall be investigated by the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation. Assistance may be requested from any Fed-
eral, State, or local agency, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, 
any statute, rule, or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding." 
79 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 89-143-AUG. 28, 1965 
581 
SEC. 2. Subsection (c) of section 3486 of title 18, United States Code, 
^^ ^'^'' ^45. 
is amended by inserting after the words "in any case or proceeding 
before any grand jury or court of the United States" the following: 
"involving any violation of section 1751 of title 18 of the United States 
Code, or". 
SEC. 3. The table of contents to "PAKT I.—CRIMES" of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after 
"83. Postal Service 
1691" 
a new chapter reference as follows: 
"84. Presidential assassination, kidnaping, and assault 
1751". 
Approved August 28, 1965. 
Public Law 89-142 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Extending the duration of copyriglit protection in certain cases. 
August 28, 1965 
[H. J. Res. 431] 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Reiyi'eseritatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled^ That in any case in which 
the renewal term of copyright subsisting in any work on the date 
of approval of this resohition, or the term thereof as extended by 
Public Law 87-668, would expire prior to December 31, 1967, such 
lejni is lierebj' continued until December 31, 1967. 
Approved August 28, 1965. 
Copyright terms. 
Extension. 
76 Stat. 555. 
17 u s e 24 note. 
Public Law 89-143 
AN ACT 
To amend section 2.'>7o(a> of title 10, United States Code, to authorize the dis-
l)osition of lost, al)andoned, or unclaimed personal proi)erty under certain 
conditions. 
August 2S, 1965 
[H. R. 5034] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
T^nlted States of Amenca in Congress a^ssemhJed, That section 2575(a) 
of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by changing the second sentence to read: "HoAvever, 
property may not be disposed of until diligent elfort has been 
made to find the owner, his lieirs or next of kin, or his legal 
representative."; 
(2) by inserting "certified or" between "by" and "registered" 
in the third sentence; and 
(3) by adding a new sentence at the end thereof to read: "When 
diligent effort to determine the owner, his heirs or next of kin, or 
his legal representatives is unsuccessful, the property may be dis-
posed of without delay, except that if it has a fair market value 
of $25 or more the property may not be disposed of until three 
months after the date it is received at a storage point designated 
by the Secretary." 
Approved August 28, 1965. 
Armed Forces. 
Unclaimed prop, 
erty, disposition. 
70A Stat. 144.