S. 132 (111th): Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2009

Introduced:
Jan 06, 2009 (111th Congress, 2009–2010)
Sponsor:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA]
Status:
Died (Referred to Committee)

The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. S. stands for Senate bill.

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Status

This bill was introduced on January 6, 2009, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.

Progress
Introduced Jan 06, 2009
Referred to Committee Jan 06, 2009
Cosponsors
17 cosponsors (10D, 7R) (show)
Committees

Senate Judiciary

The committee chair determines whether a bill will move past the committee stage.

Full Title

A bill to increase and enhance law enforcement resources committed to investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and punish violent gang crime, to protect law-abiding citizens and communities from violent criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for violent crimes, to expand and improve gang prevention programs, and for other purposes.

Summary

No summaries available.

Text

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Last updated Jan 06, 2009.
93 pages

Primary Source

View on THOMAS (The Library of Congress)

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Citation

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GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

1/6/2009--Introduced.
Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to:
(1) impose penalties on individuals who knowingly commit a gang crime or other violent crime in furtherance of a criminal street gang or who recruit persons to participate in a gang;
(2) expand the prohibition against committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity to include gang-related racketeering activity; and
(3) increase criminal penalties for threats, attempts, or conspiracies to commit crimes of violence.
Amends the Controlled Substances Act to impose criminal penalties on individuals who commit violent crimes in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Expands restrictions on the release of persons charged with using firearms in a drug trafficking crime or a crime of violence.
Establishes a 10-year limitation period for prosecutions of any noncapital felony crime of violence. Increases criminal penalties for possession of firearms by felons with prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense.
Redefines and increases penalties for the crimes of carjacking and transfers of firearms to commit a crime of violence or drug trafficking. Increases penalties for conspiracy to commit a criminal offense or to defraud the United States.
Extends to 10 years the limitation period for prosecuting certain federal crimes of terrorism.
Establishes crimes committed in Indian country or in any other area of exclusive federal jurisdiction as a predicate for invoking federal racketeering laws.
Establishes as a predicate for a wiretap authorization violations of the Controlled Substances Act relating to violent crimes in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and certain criminal street gang activity.
Expands the prohibition against impeding commerce by threats or violence to include robbery or extortion attempts committed by a person unlawfully impersonating a law enforcement officer.
Prohibits traveling in interstate or foreign commerce or using the mail to tamper with or retaliate against a witness, victim, or informant in a state criminal proceeding.
Authorizes the Attorney General to designate and assist state high intensity gang activity areas in combating gang activity.
Directs the Office of Justice Programs to establish a National Gang Research, Evaluation, and Policy Institute to design and evaluate anti-gang programs.
Authorizes the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make grants to develop community-based programs that provide crime prevention, research, and intervention services for gang members and at-risk youth.
Authorizes the Attorney General to expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program and the Safe Streets Program.
Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a National Gang Activity Database; and (2) provide funding to the Regional Information Sharing Systems to use RISSNET to connect existing gang information systems with the Database.
Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to provide grants to assist prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in identifying gang members and violent offenders.
Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to direct the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to expand the number of sites receiving juvenile delinquency reduction grants.
Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for carrying out projects involving innovative approaches to combat gang activity.
Establishes in the U.S. Marshals Service a Short-Term State Witness Protection Section. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to states for projects to prevent family abductions.
Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to report on the appropriateness of sentences for minors in the federal criminal justice system.
Amends the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 to require the Director of National Drug Control Policy to promote prevention of youth heroin use.
Authorizes the National District Attorneys Association to use the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina for a training program to improve the professional skills of state and local prosecutors.
Prevention Resources for Eliminating Criminal Activity Using Tailored Interventions in Our Neighborhoods Act of 2009 or the PRECAUTION Act - Establishes the National Commission on Public Safety Through Crime Prevention to study the effectiveness of crime and delinquency prevention and intervention strategies.
Authorizes the Director of the National Institute of Justice to make grants for the implementation and evaluation of innovative crime or delinquency prevention or intervention strategies.

House Republican Conference Summary

The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.

No summary available.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:

Slip Laws

Slip laws refer to enacted bills and joint resolutions in their original form as enacted by Congress, that is, before other laws amend them. Slip laws are cited as “Public Law XXX-YYY”, where XXX is the number of the Congress in which the bill or resolution was introduced.

United States Code

The United States Code is the compilation of permanent laws enacted by Congress. Temporary and other non-permanent laws do not appear in the United States Code. (About half of the United States Code is the law itself, called positive law. The other half is merely a compilation of the laws but has no legal significance.)

Statutes at Large

The United States Statutes at Large is the compilation of all laws enacted by Congress.

  • 84 Stat. 1236

Other Citations

  • 5 U.S.C. Chapter 53
  • 5 U.S.C. Chapter 57
  • 18 U.S.C. Chapter 213
  • 18 U.S.C. Chapter 26
  • 18 U.S.C. Chapter 73
  • 28 U.S.C. Chapter 37