AMENDMENT 769
Section 2P1.2 is amended in subsection (a)(3) by inserting after “currency,” the following: “a mobile phone or similar device,”.
The Commentary to §2P1.2 captioned “Application Notes” is amended by redesignating Notes 1 and 2 as Notes 2 and 3, respectively, and by inserting at the beginning the following:
“1. In this guideline, the term ‘mobile phone or similar device’ means a phone or other device as described in 18 U.S.C. § 1791(d)(1)(F).”.
The Commentary to §2T2.1 captioned “Statutory Provisions” is amended by inserting “15 U.S.C. § 377,” before “26 U.S.C.”.
The Commentary to §2T2.2 captioned “Statutory Provisions” is amended by inserting “15 U.S.C. § 377,” before “26 U.S.C.”.
Appendix A (Statutory Index) is amended by inserting after the line referenced to 15 U.S.C. § 158 the following:
“15 U.S.C. § 377 2T2.1, 2T2.2”;
by inserting after the line referenced to 18 U.S.C. § 43 the following:
“18 U.S.C. § 48 2G3.1”;
by inserting after the line referenced to 18 U.S.C. § 1153 the following:
“18 U.S.C. § 1158 2B1.1, 2B5.3
18 U.S.C. § 1159 2B1.1”;
by inserting after the line referenced to 18 U.S.C. § 1716D the following:
“18 U.S.C. § 1716E 2T2.2”; and
by striking the lines referenced to 41 U.S.C. § 53, 54, and 423(e) as follows:
“41 U.S.C. § 53 2B4.1
41 U.S.C. § 54 2B4.1
41 U.S.C. § 423(e) 2B1.1, 2C1.1”;
and by inserting the following:
“41 U.S.C. § 2102 2B1.1, 2C1.1
41 U.S.C. § 2105 2B1.1, 2C1.1
41 U.S.C. § 8702 2B4.1
41 U.S.C. § 8707 2B4.1”.
Reason for Amendment: This amendment responds to miscellaneous issues arising from recently enacted legislation.
Cell Phone Contraband Act of 2010
First, the amendment responds to the Cell Phone Contraband Act of 2010, Pub. L. 111–225 (enacted August 10, 2010), which amended 18 U.S.C. § 1791 (Providing or possessing contraband in prison) to make it a class A misdemeanor to provide a mobile phone or similar device to an inmate, or for an inmate to possess a mobile phone or similar device. Offenses under section 1791 are referenced in Appendix A (Statutory Index) to §2P1.2 (Providing or Possessing Contraband in Prison). The penalty structure of section 1791 is based on the type of contraband involved, and the other class A misdemeanors in section 1791 receive a base offense level of 6 in §2P1.2. Under the amendment, the class A misdemeanor in section 1791 that applies when the contraband is a cell phone will also receive a base offense level of 6 in §2P1.2. This change maintains the relationship between the penalty structures of the statute and the guideline.
Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009
Second, the amendment responds to the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 (PACT Act), Pub. L. 111–154 (enacted March 31, 2010). The PACT Act made a series of revisions to the Jenkins Act, 15 U.S.C. § 375 et seq., which is one of several laws governing the sale, shipment and taxation of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
The PACT Act raised the criminal penalty at 15 U.S.C. § 377 for a knowing violation of the Jenkins Act from a misdemeanor to a felony with a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 3 years. The amendment amends Appendix A (Statutory Index) to reference section 377 offenses to §2T2.1 (Non-Payment of Taxes) and §2T2.2 (Regulatory Offenses). These two guidelines are the most analogous guidelines for a section 377 offense because the offense may involve either non-payment of taxes or regulatory offenses. Accordingly, the amendment also amends the Commentary to §§2T2.1 and 2T2.2 to add section 377 to their lists of statutory provisions. These lists indicate that §2T2.1 applies if the conduct constitutes non-payment, evasion, or attempted evasion of taxes, and §2T2.2 applies if the conduct is tantamount to a record-keeping violation rather than an effort to evade payment of taxes.
The PACT Act also created a new class A misdemeanor at 18 U.S.C. § 1716E, prohibiting the knowing shipment of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco through the United States mail. The amendment amends Appendix A (Statutory Index) to reference section 1716E offenses to §2T2.2. Section 2T2.2 is the most analogous guideline because offenses under section 1716E are regulatory offenses.
Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010
Third, the amendment responds to the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010, Pub. L. 111–294 (enacted December 9, 2010), which substantially revised the criminal offense at 18 U.S.C. § 48 (Animal crush videos). Section 48 makes it a crime to create or distribute an “animal crush video,” which is defined by the statute in a manner that requires, among other things, that the depiction be obscene. The maximum term of imprisonment for a section 48 offense is 7 years. The amendment amends Appendix A (Statutory Index) to reference section 48 offenses to §2G3.1 (Importing, Mailing, or Transporting Obscene Matter; Transferring Obscene Matter to a Minor; Misleading Domain Names). Section 2G3.1 is the most analogous guideline because obscenity is an element of section 48 offenses.
Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act of 2010
Fourth, the amendment responds to the Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act of 2010, Pub. L. 111–211 (enacted July 29, 2010), which amended the criminal offense at 18 U.S.C. § 1159 (Misrepresentation of Indian produced goods and services) to reduce penalties for first offenders when the value of the goods involved is less than $1,000. The maximum term of imprisonment under section 1159 had been 5 years for a first offender and 15 years for a repeat offender. The Act retained this penalty structure, except that the statutory maximum term of imprisonment for a first offender was reduced to 1 year in a case in which the value of the goods involved is less than $1,000. The amendment amends Appendix A (Statutory Index) to reference section 1159 offenses to §2B1.1 (Theft, Property Destruction, and Fraud). Section 2B1.1 is the most analogous guideline because an offense under section 1159 has elements of fraud and deceit.
The amendment also addresses an existing offense, 18 U.S.C. § 1158 (Counterfeiting Indian Arts and Crafts Board trade mark), which makes it a crime to counterfeit or unlawfully affix a Government trademark used or devised by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board or to make any false statement for the purpose of obtaining the use of any such mark. The maximum term of imprisonment under section 1158 is 5 years for a first offender and 15 years for a repeat offender. The amendment amends Appendix A (Statutory Index) to reference section 1158 offenses to both §§2B1.1 and 2B5.3 (Criminal Infringement of Copyright or Trademark). These two guidelines are the most analogous guidelines because an offense under section 1158 contains alternative sets of elements, one of which involves trademark infringement and one of which involves false statements.
Public Contracting Offenses
Finally, the amendment responds to Public Law 111–350 (enacted January 4, 2011), which enacted certain laws relating to public contracts as a new positive-law title of the Code — title 41, “Public Contracts.” As part of this codification, two criminal offenses, 41 U.S.C. §§ 53 and 423(a)–(b), and their respective penalty provisions, 41 U.S.C. §§ 54 and 423(e), were given new title 41 section numbers: sections 8702 and 8707 for sections 53 and 54, respectively, and sections 2102 and 2105 for sections 423(a)–(b) and 423(e), respectively. The substantive offenses and their related penalties did not change. The amendment makes changes to Appendix A (Statutory Index) to reflect the renumbering and includes a reference for the new section 2102, whose predecessor section 423(a)–(b) was not referenced in Appendix A. The changes are technical.
Effective Date: The effective date of this amendment is November 1, 2012.