PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 32.
Congressional Research Service
Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Mar 12, 2009
Public Corruption Prosecution Improvements Act - Amends the federal criminal code to revise and expand prohibitions against bribery, theft of public money, and other public corruption offenses.
(Sec. 2) Establishes a six-year limitation period for the prosecution of public corruption crimes involving bribery, extortion, theft of government property, mail fraud, and racketeering.
(Sec. 3) Expands mail and wire fraud statutes to cover offenses involving any other thing of value (e.g., intangible rights and licenses).
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
(Sec. 4) Modifies general venue rules for criminal prosecutions to allow prosecutions in any district in which an act in furtherance of an offense is committed.
(Sec. 5) Reduces from $5,000 to $1,000 the threshold amount for theft or bribery involving federally-assisted programs and increases the maximum prison term for such offenses from 10 to 15 years.
(Sec. 6) Increases the maximum term of imprisonment for theft and embezzlement of federal money, property, or records from 10 to 15 years.
(Sec. 7) Increases the maximum term of imprisonment for bribery offenses from 15 to 20 years.
(Sec. 8) Increases to 10 years the maximum term of imprisonment for: (1) solicitation by federal officers and employees of political contributions from other federal officers and employees; (2) promise of employment made possible by an act of Congress for political activity; (3) deprivation of such employment for political activity; (4) intimidation to secure political contributions; (5) solicitation and acceptance of contributions in federal offices; and (6) coercion of political activity by federal employees.
(Sec. 9) Applies the prohibition against embezzlement or theft of federal money or property to government officials and employees of the District of Columbia.
(Sec. 10) Includes embezzlement or theft of government money or property as predicates for racketeering prosecutions and wiretaps.
(Sec. 12) Modifies elements relating to the crime of bribery of public officials and witnesses to: (1) prohibit public officials from accepting anything of value, other than what is permitted by rule or regulation, for or because of the official's or person's official position; (2) expand the definition of "official act" to include any conduct that falls within the range of official duty of a public official; (3) include a course of conduct involving multiple gifts, offers or promises designed to influence a public official.
(Sec. 15) Expands the types of perjury and obstruction of justice offenses for which venue lies in the district in which the official proceeding was intended to be affected or in which the conduct constituting the alleged offense occurred.
(Sec. 16) Authorizes appropriations for FY2010-FY2013 for additional Department of Justice (DOJ) personnel to investigate and prosecute public corruption offenses.
(Sec. 17) Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend its guidelines and policy statements relating to public corruption offenses to reflect the intent of Congress that penalties for such offenses be increased.
People & committees
Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] · D–VT
Legislative record
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Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 32.
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S56-58)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S56)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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