§37 Violence at International Airports

Summary

Makes it a federal crime to knowingly use any device, substance, or weapon to attack people or damage things at an airport that serves international flights. If the act could cause serious injury or death, or if someone destroys or badly damages airport buildings or a parked civil airplane, or disrupts airport services in a way that endangers safety, the person can be fined, jailed for up to 20 years, or both. If someone dies because of the act, the offender can be punished by death or by any term of years, including life. The law applies when the act happens in the United States, or when it happens abroad but the offender is later found in the United States, or when the offender or a victim is a U.S. national. Federal prosecutors cannot charge someone for conduct in the U.S. if it was part of a labor dispute and the same act is a felony under the state law where it happened. "Labor dispute" is defined under the Norris‑LaGuardia Act. "State" includes the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories and possessions.