Us Code § 970 - Protection of property occupied by foreign governments
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 970 — Protection of property occupied by foreign governments, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 970. Protection of property occupied by foreign governments
(a) Whoever willfully injures, damages, or destroys, or attempts to injure, damage, or destroy, any property, real or personal, located within the United States and belonging to or utilized or occupied by any foreign government or international organization, by a foreign official or official guest, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(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 under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(c) For the purpose of this section "foreign government", "foreign official", "international organization", and "official guest" shall have the same meanings as those provided in section 1116(b) of this title.
(Added Pub. L. 92–539, title IV, §401, Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1073; amended Pub. L. 94–467, §7, Oct. 8, 1976, 90 Stat. 2000; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §601(a)(2), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–294 substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than $500" in concluding provisions.
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than $10,000".
1976—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 94–467 added subsec. (b), redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c), and struck out reference to section 1116(c) of this title.
CHAPTER 46—FORFEITURE
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2006—Pub. L. 109–177, title IV, §406(b)(1)(A), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 244, added item 987.
2000—Pub. L. 106–185, §§2(b), 7(b), Apr. 25, 2000, 114 Stat. 210, 215, added items 983 and 985.
1992—Pub. L. 102–550, title XV, §§1522(b), 1523(b), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4063, 4064, added items 984 and 986.
1988—Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, §7069, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4405, substituted "forfeiture" for "Forfeiture" in items 981 and 982.
About This Section
18 U.S.C. § 970 is part of Title 18 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
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