TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 25 - COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY
HEAD
Sec. 506. Seals of departments or agencies
STATUTE
(a) Whoever -
(1) falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters
the seal of any department or agency of the United States, or any
facsimile thereof;
(2) knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently
made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal or
facsimile thereof to or upon any certificate, instrument,
commission, document, or paper of any description; or
(3) with fraudulent intent, possesses, sells, offers for sale,
furnishes, offers to furnish, gives away, offers to give away,
transports, offers to transport, imports, or offers to import any
such seal or facsimile thereof, knowing the same to have been so
falsely made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered,
shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5
years, or both.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or any other provision of law,
if a forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal of a
department or agency of the United States, or any facsimile
thereof, is -
(1) so forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered;
(2) used, affixed, or impressed to or upon any certificate,
instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description; or
(3) with fraudulent intent, possessed, sold, offered for sale,
furnished, offered to furnish, given away, offered to give away,
transported, offered to transport, imported, or offered to
import,
with the intent or effect of facilitating an alien's application
for, or receipt of, a Federal benefit to which the alien is not
entitled, the penalties which may be imposed for each offense under
subsection (a) shall be two times the maximum fine, and 3 times the
maximum term of imprisonment, or both, that would otherwise be
imposed for an offense under subsection (a).
(c) For purposes of this section -
(1) the term "Federal benefit" means -
(A) the issuance of any grant, contract, loan, professional
license, or commercial license provided by any agency of the
United States or by appropriated funds of the United States;
and
(B) any retirement, welfare, Social Security, health
(including treatment of an emergency medical condition in
accordance with section 1903(v) of the Social Security Act (19
(!1) U.S.C. 1396b(v))), disability, veterans, public housing,
education, supplemental nutrition assistance program
benefits,(!2) or unemployment benefit, or any similar benefit
for which payments or assistance are provided by an agency of
the United States or by appropriated funds of the United
States; and
(2) each instance of forgery, counterfeiting, mutilation, or
alteration shall constitute a separate offense under this
section.
SOURCE
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 714; Pub. L. 103-322, title
XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L.
104-208, div. C, title V, Sec. 561, Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009-
681; Pub. L. 110-234, title IV, Sec. 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), May
22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1096, 1097; Pub. L. 110-246, Sec. 4(a), title
IV, Sec. 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664,
1857, 1858.)
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 131 (June 15, 1917, ch.
30, title X, Sec. 2, 40 Stat. 228).
Reference to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting was
omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by
section 2 of this title.
In view of definitions of department and agency in section 6 of
this title, words "department or agency" in first paragraph were
substituted for "executive department, or any bureau, commission,
or office".
Provision for 10 years' imprisonment was reduced to 5 years to
conform to punishment provision in section 505 of this title,
covering an offense of like gravity.
Minor changes in phraseology were also made.
CODIFICATION
Pub. L. 110-234 and Pub. L. 110-246 made identical amendments to
this section. The amendments by Pub. L. 110-234 were repealed by
section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110-246.
AMENDMENTS
2008 - Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 110-246, Sec. 4002(b)(1)(E),
(2)(M), substituted "supplemental nutrition assistance program
benefits" for "food stamps".
1996 - Pub. L. 104-208 reenacted section catchline without change
and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as
follows:
"Whoever falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or
alters the seal of any department or agency of the United States;
or
"Whoever knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such
fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered
seal to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document,
or paper, of any description; or
"Whoever, with fraudulent intent, possesses any such seal,
knowing the same to have been so falsely made, forged,
counterfeited, mutilated, or altered -
"Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five
years, or both."
1994 - Pub. L. 103-322 substituted "fined under this title" for
"fined not more than $5,000".
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2008 AMENDMENT
Amendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110-234 by Pub.
L. 110-246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L.
110-234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110-
246, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8701 of Title
7, Agriculture.
Amendment by section 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M) of Pub. L. 110-246
effective Oct. 1, 2008, see section 4407 of Pub. L. 110-246, set
out as a note under section 1161 of Title 2, The Congress.
FOOTNOTE
(!1) So in original. Probably should be "42".
(!2) So in original. The word "benefits" probably should not
appear.
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