H.R. 6029: Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012
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H.R. 6029: Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012
112th Congress · introduced 2012-06-27 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Became Public Law No: 112-269.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2012-06-27 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 112-269. (final step reached)
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012
Plain summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on December 19, 2012. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to increase the maximum fine for economic espionage (i.e., stealing or obtaining, duplicating or conveying, or buying or possessing trade secrets without authorization, intending or knowing that the offense will benefit any foreign government, foreign instrumentality, or foreign agent) committed by individuals (from $500,000 to $5 million) or by organizations (from $10 million to $10 million or 3 times the value of the stolen trade secret to the organization). Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements applicable to offenses relating to the transmission of a stolen trade secret outside of the United States or economic espionage in order to reflect the intent of Congress that penalties for such offenses reflect the seriousness of, and potential and actual harm caused by, such offenses and provide adequate deterrence. Directs the Commission to: (1) consider the extent to which such guidelines and statements appropriately account for the simple misappropriation of a trade secret; (2) consider whether additional enhancements are appropriate to account for any transmission of a stolen trade secret outside of the United States and any such transmission that is committed for the benefit of a foreign government, instrumentality, or agent; and (3) ensure reasonable consistency with other relevant directives, guidelines and statements, and related federal statutes.
Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21] · 11 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Adam B. Schiff (D-CA)
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (3)
- Appropriation
- Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
- Authorization
- A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
- Statute
- A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr6029.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>
Record fed-us-cong112-hr6029 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112