United States Sentencing Commission 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On May 1, 2006, the Commission submitted to Congress amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines and published these amendments in the Federal Register on May 15, 2006. See 71 FR 28063. The Commission has made technical and conforming amendments to commentary provisions related to those amendments and has made a correction to the amendatory language of one amendment.

As part of its statutory authority and responsibility to analyze sentencing issues, including operation of the Federal sentencing guidelines, and in accordance with Rule 5.2 of its Rules of Practice and Procedure, the Commission is seeking comment on possible priority policy issues for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2007.

The Commission requests public comment pertaining to an amendment submitted to the Congress on May 1, 2006, that creates a policy statement governing a reduction in term of imprisonment as a result of a motion by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons (published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register).

(A) Proposed Temporary, Emergency Amendment Pertaining to Steroid Offenses.Pursuant to section 994(a), (o), and (p) of title 28, United States Code, section 3 of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004, Pub. L. 108-358, and the United States Parole Commission Extension and Sentencing Commission Authority Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109- 75, the Commission is considering promulgating a temporary, emergency amendment to the sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary to increase the penalties for steroid offenses. This notice sets forth the proposed amendment and a synopsis of the issues addressed by the amendment. Issues for comment follow the proposed amendment. (B) Proposed Non-Emergency Amendments.Pursuant to section 994(a), (o), and (p) of title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission is considering promulgating certain amendments to the sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary. This notice sets forth the proposed amendments and, for each proposed amendment, a synopsis of the issues addressed by that amendment. This notice also provides multiple issues for comment, some of which are contained within proposed amendments. The specific proposed amendments and issues for comment in this notice are as follows: (A) proposed amendment and issues for comment regarding immigration offenses, particularly offenses covered by Sec. Sec. 2L1.1 (Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien), 2L1.2 (Unlawfully Entering or Remaining in the United States), 2L2.1 (Trafficking in a Document Relating to Naturalization, Citizenship, or Legal Resident Status, or a United States Passport; etc.) and 2L2.2 (Fraudulently Acquiring Documents Relating to Naturalization, Citizenship, or Legal Resident Status for Own Use); (B) proposed amendments to Sec. Sec. 2K2.1 (Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Firearms or Ammunition; Prohibited Transactions Involving Firearms or Ammunition), 1B1.1 (Application Instructions), and 5K2.11 (Lesser Harms), and issues for comment pertaining to firearms offenses; (C) proposed repromulgation of the proposed temporary, emergency amendment to Sec. Sec. 2D1.1 (Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, or Trafficking (Including Possession with Intent to Commit These Offenses); Attempt or Conspiracy), and 3B1.3 (Hate Crime Motivation and Vulnerable Victim) set forth in Part A of this notice; (D) proposed amendment to repromulgate as a permanent amendment the temporary, emergency amendment to Sec. 2B5.3 (Criminal Infringement of Copyright or Trademark), which became effective October 24, 2004 (see Supplement to Appendix C, (Amendment 675)); (E) proposed amendment to repromulgate as a permanent amendment the temporary, emergency amendment to Sec. 2J1.2 (Obstruction of Justice), which became effective October 24, 2005 (see Supplement to Appendix C, (Amendment 676)); (F) proposed amendments Sec. Sec. 2A1.4 (Involuntary Manslaughter), 2A5.2 (Interference with Flight Crew Member or Flight Attendant; Interference with Dispatch, Operation, or Maintenance of Mass Transportation Vehicle or Ferry), 2B1.1 (Theft, Fraud, and Property Destruction), 2K1.4 (Arson; Property Damage by Use of Explosives), and Chapter Two, Part X (Other Offenses) to implement the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users, Pub. L. 109-59; (G) proposed amendments to Sec. Sec. 2A6.1 (Threatening Communications), 2K2.1 (Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Firearms or Ammunition; Prohibited Transactions Involving Firearms or Ammunition), 2L1.1 (Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien), and 2M6.1 (Unlawful Production, Development, Acquisition, Stockpiling, Alteration, Use, Transfer, or Possession of Nuclear Material, Weapons, or Facilities, Biological Agents, Toxins, or Delivery Systems, Chemical Weapons, or Other Weapons of Mass Destruction; Attempt or Conspiracy) to implement the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Pub. L. 108-458; (H) proposed amendments to (i) Chapter Three (Adjustments) to implement the directive to the Commission in section 204(b) of the Intellectual Property Protection and Courts Administration Act of 2004, Pub. L. 108-482; and (ii) Sec. 2G2.5 (Recordkeeping Offenses Involving the Production of Sexually Explicit Materials) to implement section 5(d)(1) of the CAN-SPAM Act, Pub. L. 108-187; (I) proposed amendments to (i) Sec. Sec. 2B1.1 and 2B1.5 (Theft of, Damage to, or Destruction of, Cultural Heritage Resources; Unlawful Sale, Purchase, Exchange, Transportation, or Receipt of Cultural Heritage Resources) to implement the Veterans' Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act of 2003, Pub. L. 108-29; (ii) Sec. 2N2.1 (Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product) to implement the Plant Protection Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-171; (iii) Sec. 2T3.1 (Evading Import Duties or Restrictions (Smuggling); Receiving or Trafficking in Smuggled Property ) to implement the Clean Diamond Trade Act of 2003, Pub. L. 108-19; (iv) Sec. Sec. 2A1.1 (First Degree Murder), 2A1.2 (Second Degree Murder), 2A1.3 (Voluntary Manslaughter), 2A1.4 (Involuntary Manslaughter), 2A2.1 (Assault with Intent to Commit Murder; Attempted Murder), 2A2.2 (Aggravated Assault), and 2X5.1 to implement the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, Pub. L. 108-212; and (v) Chapter Two, Part X (Other Offenses) to implement several other laws that created new Class A Misdemeanor offenses; (J) proposed amendments to Sec. 2D1.1 and Chapter Three (Adjustments) to address various guideline application issues; (K) proposed amendment to Sec. 3C1.1 (Obstruction of Justice) that addresses three issues of circuit conflict; (L) issue for comment pertaining to attorney-client waiver in Chapter Eight (Sentencing of Organizations); (M) proposed amendment to Chapter Six (Sentencing Procedures and Plea Agreements) pertaining to crime victims' rights; and (N) proposed amendment to Chapter One, Part B (General Application Principles) pertaining to reductions in the term of imprisonment based on a Bureau of Prisons motion.