119-hr194

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 194 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 194

 To amend chapter 211 of title 18, United States Code, to modify venue 
 for certain offenses.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 3, 2025

 Mr. Self (for himself and Mr. Nehls) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend chapter 211 of title 18, United States Code, to modify venue 
 for certain offenses.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Venue Named Under Exception Act'' or 
the ``VENUE Act''.

SEC. 2. VENUE FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 211 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``

Sec. 3245. Offenses committed in the National Capital Region
 ``

    (a) Offenses in National Capital Region.--In the case of an 
offense that is committed in the National Capital Region on property 
under the control of the Federal Government, an indictment or 
information shall be filed in the district of the last known residence 
of the offender or of any one of two or more joint offenders, or if no 
such residence is known, the indictment or information may be filed in 
the District of Columbia.
 ``

    (b) Transfer.--
 ``

    (1) Right to transfer.--Notwithstanding subsection

    (a) , a 
 district court shall, upon motion of the defendant, grant a 
 transfer of an indictment or information to the district court 
 encompassing the jurisdiction where the defendant is domiciled.
 ``

    (2) Multiple defendants.--If multiple defendants file a 
 motion to transfer an indictment or information under paragraph

    (1) , the district court shall grant the motion of the defendant 
 who filed the motion first.
 ``

    (3) Defendants not domiciled in the united states.--A 
 defendant not domiciled in the United States may not file a 
 motion to transfer an indictment or information under paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
            (c) === Definition. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) The term `National Capital Region' means the 
 geographic area located within the boundaries of--
 ``
        (A) the District of Columbia;
 ``
        (B) Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in 
 the State of Maryland;
 ``
            (C) Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince 
 William Counties and the Cities of Alexandria and Falls 
 Church in the Commonwealth of Virginia; and
 ``
            (D) all cities and other units of government 
 within the geographic areas of such District, Counties, 
 and City.
 ``

    (2) The term `property under the control of the Federal 
 Government' means property owned or leased by the United 
 States, or any agency thereof, except in the case of the United 
 States Postal Service.
 ``
            (d) Pending Cases.--This section shall apply to any offense with 
respect to which a trial has not been scheduled as of the date of 
enactment of this section.
 ``

    (e) Limitation.--This section shall only apply to an offense not 
otherwise subject to 

section 3235, 3236, 3237, 3238, 3239, 3241, 3242, 
3243 or 3244.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 211 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``3245. Offenses committed in the National Capital Region.''.
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