HR 9897 United States House · 118th Congress

To amend section 3559 of title 18, United States Code, to provide that a misdemeanor for which no punishment or no maximum punishment is prescribed by statute shall be punishable as a Class A misdemeanor.

This bill amends federal law to establish that any willful violation of a federal statute with no prescribed punishment is automatically classified as a Class A misdemeanor. It directly affects individuals who commit such unpenalized federal violations, setting a default penalty (up to one year in jail or a fine) where the original law was silent. The key mechanism adds a new provision to the U.S. Code specifying that "no punishment prescribed" violations must be treated as Class A misdemeanors. This is a procedural clarification to fill a legal gap, not a new policy affecting specific groups or issues.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Oct 2024
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Oct 1, 2024 Last action Oct 1, 2024
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Total actions
2
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0
Committee
1
Oct 1, 2024
Committee
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
lower
Oct 1, 2024
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of H. Morgan Griffith
H. Morgan Griffith
RRepublican
VA
9