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Former Vice President Protection Act of 2008

Public Law 110-326 · H.R. 5938 · 110th Congress · began in the House

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Sep 26, 2008 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Rep. John Conyers (D-MI-14)

Cosponsors (3): Rep. Lamar Smith,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Title I: Former Vice President Protection Act - Former Vice President Protection Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to provide secret service protection to former Vice Presidents, their spouses, and their children under 16 years of age for up to six months after a former Vice President leaves office. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to direct the Secret Service to provide temporary protection to former Vice Presidents and their family members at any time thereafter if warranted. Extends such protection to any Vice President holding office on or after the enactment of this Act.

Title II: Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act - Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) authorize criminal restitution orders in identity theft cases to compensate victims for the time spent to remediate the intended or actual harm incurred; (2) allow prosecution of computer fraud offenses for conduct not involving an interstate or foreign communication; (3) eliminate the requirement that damage to a victim's computer aggregate at least $5,000 before a prosecution can be brought for unauthorized access to a computer; (4) make it a felony, during any one-year period, to damage 10 or more protected computers used by or for the federal government or a financial institution; (5) expand the definition of "cyber-extortion" to include a demand for money in relation to damage to a protected computer, where such damage was caused to facilitate the extortion; (6) prohibit conspiracies to commit computer fraud; (7) expand interstate and foreign jurisdiction for prosecution of computer fraud offenses; and (8) impose criminal and civil forfeitures of property used to commit computer fraud offenses.

Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review its guidelines and policy statements for the sentencing of persons convicted of identity theft, computer fraud, illegal wiretapping, and unlawful access to stored information to reflect the intent of Congress that penalties for such offenses be increased. Sets forth criteria for updating such guidelines and policy statements.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · Senate · discharged from, referred to
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

The record lists no related bills.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 31 actions.

  1. Sep 26, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-326.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 17, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 15, 2008Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Issa objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Scott (VA) moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
  8. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  9. FloorFloor · The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5938.
  10. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  11. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
  12. Jul 31, 2008FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  13. Jul 30, 2008FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  14. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  16. Jun 10, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  17. Jun 9, 2008FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  18. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  19. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5938.
  20. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  21. FloorFloor · Ms. Lofgren, Zoe moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  22. Jun 5, 2008CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 439.
  23. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 110-696.
  24. May 14, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
  25. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  26. May 13, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
  27. CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  28. May 6, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  29. May 2, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
  30. May 1, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 5257SenateSen. Patrick LeahyD-VT· offered Jul 30, 2008Agreed to

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to enable increased federal prosecution of identity theft crimes and to allow for restitution to victims of identity theft.

    Jul 30, 2008: Amendment SA 5257 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.