18 U.S.C. § 351

Congressional, Cabinet, and Supreme Court assassination, kidnapping, and assault; penalties

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(a) Whoever kills any individual who is a Member of Congress or a Member-of-Congress-elect, a member of the executive branch of the Government who is the head, or a person nominated to be head during the pendency of such nomination, of a department listed in section 101 of title 5 or the second ranking official in such department, the Director (or a person nominated to be Director during the pendency of such nomination) or Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, the Director (or a person nominated to be Director during the pendency of such nomination) or Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, a major Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate (as defined in section 3056 of this title), or a Justice of the United States, as defined in section 451 of title 28, or a person nominated to be a Justice of the United States, during the pendency of such nomination, 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 individual 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 under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the assault involved the use of a dangerous weapon, or personal injury results, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.(f) 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.(g) Violations of this section shall be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistance may be requested from any Federal, State, or local agency, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, any statute, rule, or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding.(h) In a prosecution for an offense under this section the Government need not prove that the defendant knew that the victim of the offense was an individual protected by this section.(i) There is extraterritorial jurisdiction over the conduct prohibited by this section.(Added Pub. L. 91–644, title IV, § 15, Jan. 2, 1971, 84 Stat. 1891; amended Pub. L. 97–285, §§ 1, 2(a), Oct. 6, 1982, 96 Stat. 1219; Pub. L. 99–646, § 62, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3614; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7074, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4405; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, § 320101(d), title XXXIII, §§ 330016(1)(K), (L), 330021(1), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2108, 2147, 2150; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(12)(C), (c)(2), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507, 3509; Pub. L. 112–87, title V, § 506, Jan. 3, 2012, 125 Stat. 1897.)Editorial NotesAmendments

2012—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–87 inserted “the Director (or a person nominated to be Director during the pendency of such nomination) or Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence,” after “in such department,” and substituted “the Central Intelligence Agency,” for “Central Intelligence,”.

1996—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(c)(2), substituted “involved the use” for “involved in the use”.

Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(12)(C), repealed Pub. L. 103–322, § 320101(d)(3). See 1994 Amendment note below.

1994—Pub. L. 103–322, § 330021(1), substituted “kidnapping” for “kidnaping” in section catchline.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(L), substituted “shall be fined under this title” for “shall be fined not more than $10,000” after “personal injury results,”.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 320101(d)(4), substituted “imprisoned not more than ten years” for “imprisoned for not more than ten years”.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 320101(d)(3), which provided for amendment identical to Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(L), above, was repealed by Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(12)(C).

Pub. L. 103–322, § 320101(d)(2), inserted “the assault involved in the use of a dangerous weapon, or” after “and if”.

Pub. L. 103–322, §§ 320101(d)(1), 330016(1)(K), amended subsec. (e) identically, substituting “shall be fined under this title” for “shall be fined not more than $5,000” after “subsection (a) of this section”.

1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–690 inserted a comma after “section 3056 of this title)”.

1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–646, § 62(1), inserted “a major Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate (as defined in section 3056 of this title)”.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 99–646, § 62(2), substituted “individual” for “official”.

1982—Pub. L. 97–285, § 2(a), substituted “Congressional, Cabinet, and Supreme Court assassination, kidnaping, and assault; penalties” for “Congressional assassination, kidnaping, and assault” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–285, § 1(a), expanded coverage of subsec. (a) to cover the killing of any individual who is a member of the executive branch of the Government and the head, or a person nominated to be head during the pendency of such nomination, of a department listed in section 101 of title 5 or the second ranking official in such department, the Director (or a person nominated to be Director during the pendency of such nomination) or Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, or a Justice of the United States, as defined in section 451 of title 28, or a person nominated to be a Justice of the United States, during the pendency of such nomination.

Subsecs. (h), (i). Pub. L. 97–285, § 1(b), added subsecs. (h) and (i).

Statutory Notes and Related SubsidiariesEffective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 104–294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of this title.

Report to Member of Congress on Investigation Conducted Subsequent to Threat on Member’s Life

Pub. L. 95–624, § 19, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3466, provided that: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall provide a written report to a Member of Congress on any investigation conducted based on a threat on the Member’s life under section 351 of title 18 of the United States Code.”

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 79 cases (12 in the last 5 years), 1968–2025 · leading case: Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972).

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Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972). · cites it 8× “§ 1751 ; or assassination of a Member or member-elect of Congress, 18 U. S. C. § 351 ; or espionage, 18 U. S.”

United States v. Layton, 509 F. Supp. 212 (N.D. Cal. 1981). · cites it 16× “Layton with (1) conspiracy to murder a Congressman, under 18 U.S.C. § 351 (d); (2) aiding and abetting in the murder of a Congressman, under 18 U.”

United States v. Rene Boucher, 937 F.3d 702 (6th Cir. 2019). · cites it 3× “Boucher later pleaded guilty to assaulting a member of Congress in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 351 (e). Although his Guidelines sentencing range was 21 to 27 months in prison, the district court sentenced him to 30 days’ imprisonment.”

Thompson v. Oklahoma, 487 U.S. 815 (1988). · cites it 2× “§ 1111 ); 18 U. S. C. § 351 (1982 ed. and Supp. IV) (murder of Member of Congress, important Executive official, or Supreme Court Justice) (by cross reference to 18 U.”

United States v. Laurence John Layton, 855 F.2d 1388 (9th Cir. 1988). · cites it 3× “In an indictment filed October 9, 1980, Layton was charged with conspiring to kill a member of Congress (Ryan), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 351 (d); aiding and abetting in the killing of a member of Congress, in violation of 18 U.”

United States v. Christopher Hasson, 26 F.4th 610 (4th Cir. 2022). · cites it 2× “The district court applied the adjustment over Hasson’s objection upon concluding that his crimes were “designed to promote” a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 351 , which, in relevant part, criminalizes “attempting to kill or kidnap” any member of Congress, any Supreme Court Justice,…”

Ray v. United States, 575 A.2d 1196 (D.C. 1990). · cites it 3× “§ 351 (e) (1982), like our District of Columbia statute, does not state the elements of the offense but merely prescribes a penalty for “[wjhoever assaults any person designated in subsection (a),” which includes members of Congress.”

United States v. Thomas Cameron Kincade, 379 F.3d 813 (9th Cir. 2004). “§ 871 ; and the assassination or attempted assassination of high-level government officials, 18 U.S.C. § 351 , 1751. . California’s ballot initiatives have often served as models for other states.”

United States v. Rivera-Ruperto, 852 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2017). “5 18 U.S.C. § 351 (§§2A1.1, First degree murder of 1971 Life** 2A1.”

United States v. Luciano Pascacio-Rodriguez, 749 F.3d 353 (5th Cir. 2014). · cites it 2× “18 U.S.C. § 351 (d) (conspiracy to kill or kidnap certain congressional, cabinet, and Supreme Court officials); id.”

United States v. Jeffrey Paul Lewellyn, 481 F.3d 695 (9th Cir. 2007). · cites it 2× “Although this precise issue has not been addressed under § 113(a)(5), spitting on a person has been held to constitute assault in violation of two other federal assault statutes.”

United States v. Servando Alvarado-Casas, 715 F.3d 945 (5th Cir. 2013). “§ 248 (b); 18 U.S.C. § 351 (b); 18 U.S.C. § 670 (c)(1); 18 U.”

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— 18 U.S.C. § 351(e) — 2 cases

Sanders v. Carro (N.D. Ohio 2023).

Buvel v. Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (D.N.J. 2024).

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