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Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982

Public Law 97-291 · S. 2420 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 12, 1982 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Sen. Henry Heinz (R-PA)

Cosponsors (57): Sen. Paul Laxalt,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateVoice vote
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.

(Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment)

Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982 - Amends rule 32 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to require that presentence reports contain: (1) information concerning any harm or loss suffered by the victim; (2) information that may aid the court in sentencing; (3) a statement of the circumstances of the commission of the offense; and (4) any prior criminal record of the defendant.

Amends the Federal criminal code to establish as offenses, "tampering with a witness or an informant," and "retaliating against a witness or an informant."

Authorizes the Attorney General to initiate civil proceedings to restrain any harrassment of a victim or witness.

Authorizes a sentencing court to order the defendant to make restitution. Requires the court to state for the record the reasons for not ordering restitution. Prescribes a procedure for the issuance of restitution orders.

Directs the Attorney General to develop Federal guidelines for the fair treatment of crime victims and witnesses.

Requires the Attorney General to consider certain objectives in preparing the guidelines, including: (1) ensuring that victims receive prompt social and medical services; (2) giving victims and witnesses notice of important criminal justice proceedings and scheduling changes; (3) arranging for the prosecution to obtain the nonbinding views of victims of serious crimes during such stages as plea bargaining and pretrial release; (4) encouraging employers to continue to pay victims and witnesses for work absences to assist investigations and prosecutions; (5) training law enforcement personnel in victim assistance; (6) informing victims or witnesses on legal steps for protection from intimidation.

Directs the Attorney General to recommend to Congress any laws that are necessary to ensure that no Federal felon derives any profit from the sale of his or her story until any victim of the offense receives restitution.

Amends the Bail Reform Act of 1966 to require as a condition of pretrial release that the defendant not commit certain offenses.

Committees

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

  • Judiciary Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Criminal Justice Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Terrorism, Technology, and Government Information Subcommittee
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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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.

  1. Oct 12, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-291.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 1, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendments with an amendment (SU 1376) by Voice Vote.
  6. Sep 30, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  7. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
  9. Sep 29, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  10. Sep 16, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  11. Sep 14, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
  12. Aug 19, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
  13. Aug 17, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
  14. Jul 29, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Terrorism, Technology, and Government Information Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Terrorism, Technology, and Government Information Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  16. May 27, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Terrorism, Technology, and Government Information Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  17. May 3, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Terrorism, Technology, and Government Information Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  18. Apr 22, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  19. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.