§ 1855. Timber set afire

Statutory text

Whoever, willfully and without authority, sets on fire any timber, underbrush, or grass or other inflammable material upon the public domain or upon any lands owned or leased by or under the partial, concurrent, or exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, or under contract for purchase or for the acquisition of which condemnation proceedings have been instituted, or upon any Indian reservation or lands belonging to or occupied by any tribe or group of Indians under authority of the United States, or upon any Indian allotment while the title to the same shall be held in trust by the Government, or while the same shall remain inalienable by the allottee without the consent of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

This section shall not apply in the case of a fire set by an allottee in the reasonable exercise of his proprietary rights in the allotment.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

1948
Pub. L. 80–645 · 62 Stat. 683
Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 1855
June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 788
Source evidence
Code source credit
June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 788
1988
Anti-Drug Abuse Amendments Act of 1988
Pub. L. 100–690 title VI § 6254(j) · 102 Stat. 4181
Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 1855
Pub. L. 100–690 substituted “under this title” for “not more than $5,000” in first par
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Pub. L. 100–690 substituted “under this title” for “not more than $5,000” in first par.
Enacted provision · exact public law section
(j) Arson Involving Timber.— The first undesignated paragraph of section 1855 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking out “not more than $5,000” and inserting in lieu thereof “under this title”.

1 of 2 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 106 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 52, 35 Stat. 1098; Nov. 15, 1941, ch. 472, § 1, 55 Stat. 763).

Surplus verbiage and unnecessary enumerations were omitted.

Words “without authority” were inserted near beginning of section so as to remove any doubt as to scope or meaning of section.

Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title.

Minor verbal changes were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1988—Pub. L. 100–690 substituted “under this title” for “not more than $5,000” in first par.

Credits

1948–1988 · 2 acts

1948June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 788
1988Pub. L. 100–690, title VI, § 6254(j), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4368.

Show as published

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 788; Pub. L. 100–690, title VI, § 6254(j), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4368.)