Federal Halo Act in plain language
1: Short title
This section states that the Act may be called the Federal Halo Act.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Halo Act .
2: Criminal penalty for obstructing Federal law enforcement officer activities
This section would add a new crime, section 1522, to chapter 73 of title 18 of the United States Code, and would add a matching entry to that chapter's table of sections. The new crime would define a Federal law enforcement officer as any Federal law enforcement officer or agent who is lawfully performing duties. It would define harass as knowingly engaging in a course of conduct directed at a Federal law enforcement officer that intentionally causes the officer substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose. The new crime would make it unlawful for a person to knowingly approach or remain within 15 feet of a Federal law enforcement officer who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach from an individual whom the person knows or reasonably should know is that Federal law enforcement officer, where the person knowingly violates that warning and does so with the intent to (1) impede or interfere with the officer's ability to perform that legal duty, (2) threaten the officer with physical harm, or (3) harass the officer as defined in the section. A person who violates this new offense would be fined, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
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2. Criminal penalty for obstructing Federal law enforcement officer activities (a) In general Chapter 73 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 1522. Obstructing law enforcement activities (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Federal law enforcement officer The term Federal law enforcement officer means any Federal law enforcement officer or agent who is engaged in the lawful performance of duties. (2) Harass The term harass means to knowingly engage in a course of conduct directed at a Federal law enforcement officer that intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that Federal law enforcement officer and serves no legitimate purpose. (b) Offense It shall be unlawful for a person, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach from an individual whom the person knows or reasonably should know is a Federal law enforcement officer, and who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, to knowingly violate the warning and approach or remain within 15 feet of the Federal law enforcement officer with the intent to— (1) impede or interfere with the ability of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer to perform that legal duty; (2) threaten the Federal Law Enforcement Officer with physical harm; or (3) harass the Federal Law Enforcement Officer. (c) Penalty Any person who violates subsection (b) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both. . (b) Technical and conforming amendment The table of sections for chapter 73 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 1522. Obstructing law enforcement activities. .