§ 31. Definitions

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.

1. 1956

   Pub. L. 84–595 § 1 · 70 Stat. 292

   Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 31

   Added July 14, 1956, ch. 595, § 1, 70 Stat. 538

   Source evidence

   Code source credit
   Added July 14, 1956, ch. 595, § 1, 70 Stat. 538

2. 1984

   Aircraft Sabotage Act

   Pub. L. 98–473 § 2013(a)(1) · 98 Stat. 1837

   1. Struck · 18 U.S.C. § 31

      Pub. L. 98–473, § 2013(a)(1), in first par. struck out “and” before “spare part”

   2. Inserted · 18 U.S.C. § 31

      Pub. L. 98–473, § 2013(a)(1), in first par. inserted “and ‘special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States’ ”

   3. Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 31

      Pub. L. 98–473, § 2013(a)(1), in first par. substituted “Federal Aviation Act of 1958” for “Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Pub. L. 98–473, § 2013(a)(1), in first par. struck out “and” before “spare part”, inserted “and ‘special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States’ ”, and substituted “Federal Aviation Act of 1958” for “Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (1) in the first paragraph by— (A) striking out “and” before the term “spare part” and inserting “and ‘special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States’ ” after the term “spare part”; and (B) striking out “Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938” and inserting in lieu thereof “Federal Aviation Act of 1958”;

3. 1984

   Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984

   Pub. L. 98–473 § 1010 · 98 Stat. 1837

   Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 31

   Pub. L. 98–473, § 1010, substituted “passengers and property, or property or cargo” for “or passengers and property” in definition of motor vehicle

   Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Pub. L. 98–473, § 1010, substituted “passengers and property, or property or cargo” for “or passengers and property” in definition of motor vehicle.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   Sec. 1010. Section 31 of title 18 of the United States Code is Post, p. 2187. amended in the definition of “motor vehicle” by striking out “or passengers and property;” and inserting in lieu thereof “passengers and property, or property or cargo;”.

4. 1984

   Aircraft Sabotage Act

   Pub. L. 98–473 § 2013(a)(2) · 98 Stat. 1837

   Inserted · 18 U.S.C. § 31

   Pub. L. 98–473, § 2013(a)(2)–(4), inserted definitions of “in flight” and “in service”

   Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Pub. L. 98–473, § 2013(a)(2)–(4), inserted definitions of “in flight” and “in service”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (2) by striking out “and” at the end of the third undesignated paragraph thereof;

5. 1988

   Minor and Technical Criminal Law Amendments Act of 1988

   Pub. L. 100–690 title VII § 7015 · 102 Stat. 4181

   Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 31

   Pub. L. 100–690 substituted “door is opened” for “door in opened” in definition of “in flight”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Pub. L. 100–690 substituted “door is opened” for “door in opened” in definition of “in flight”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   SEC. 7015. CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR IN SECTION 31. Section 31 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking “door in opened” and inserting “door is opened”.

6. 1994

   Pub. L. 103–272 § 5(e)(1) · 108 Stat. 745

   Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 31

   Pub. L. 103–272 substituted “sections 40102(a) and 46501 of title 49” for “the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended” in par. beginning with definition of “Aircraft engine”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Pub. L. 103–272 substituted “sections 40102(a) and 46501 of title 49” for “the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended” in par. beginning with definition of “Aircraft engine”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (1) In section 31, strike “the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended” and substitute “sections 40102(a) and 46501 of title 49”.

7. 2000

   Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century

   Pub. L. 106–181 title V § 506(b) · 114 Stat. 61

   1. Added · 18 U.S.C. § 31

      Pub. L. 106–181 added subsecs. (a) and (b)

   2. Struck · 18 U.S.C. § 31

      Pub. L. 106–181 struck out former text which read as follows: “When used in this chapter the term—

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Pub. L. 106–181 added subsecs. (a) and (b) and struck out former text which read as follows: “When used in this chapter the term—

   “ ‘Aircraft engine’, ‘air navigation facility’, ‘appliance’, ‘civil aircraft’, ‘foreign air commerce’, ‘interstate air commerce’, ‘landing area’, ‘overseas air commerce’, ‘propeller’, ‘spare part’ and ‘special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States’ shall have the meaning ascribed to those terms in sections 40102(a) and 46501 of title 49. “ ‘Motor vehicle’ means every description of carriage or other contrivance propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used for commercial purposes on the highways in the transportation of passengers, passengers and property, or property or cargo; “ ‘Destructive substance’ means any explosive substance, flammable material, infernal machine, or other chemical, mechanical, or radioactive device or matter of a combustible, contaminative, corrosive, or explosive nature; “ ‘Used for commercial purposes’ means the carriage of persons or property for any fare, fee, rate, charge or other consideration, or directly or indirectly in connection with any business, or other undertaking intended for profit; “ ‘In flight’ means any time from the moment all the external doors of an aircraft are closed following embarkation until the moment when any such door is opened for disembarkation. In the case of a forced landing the flight shall be deemed to continue until competent authorities take over the responsibility for the aircraft and the persons and property on board; and “ ‘In service’ means any time from the beginning of preflight preparation of the aircraft by ground personnel or by the crew for a specific flight until twenty-four hours after any landing; the period of service shall, in any event, extend for the entire period during which the aircraft is in flight.”

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (b) Definitions.— Section 31 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking all after the section heading and inserting the following: “(a) Definitions.— In this chapter, the following definitions apply: “(1) Aircraft.— The term ‘aircraft’ means a civil, military, or public contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, fly, or travel in the air. “(2) Aviation quality.— The term ‘aviation quality’, with respect to a part of an aircraft or space vehicle, means the quality of having been manufactured, constructed, produced, maintained, repaired, overhauled, rebuilt, reconditioned, or restored in conformity with applicable standards specified by law (including applicable regulations). “(3) Destructive substance.— The term ‘destructive substance’ means an explosive substance, flammable material, infernal machine, or other chemical, mechanical, or radioactive device or matter of a combustible, contaminative, corrosive, or explosive nature. “(4) In flight.— The term ‘in flight’ means— “(A) any time from the moment at which all the external doors of an aircraft are closed following embarkation until the moment when any such door is opened for disembarkation; and “(B) in the case of a forced landing, until competent authorities take over the responsibility for the aircraft and the persons and property on board. “(5) In service.— The term ‘in service’ means— “(A) any time from the beginning of preflight preparation of an aircraft by ground personnel or by the crew for a specific flight until 24 hours after any landing; and “(B) in any event includes the entire period during which the aircraft is in flight. “(6) Motor vehicle.— The term ‘motor vehicle’ means every description of carriage or other contrivance propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used for commercial purposes on the highways in the transportation of passengers, passengers and property, or property or cargo. “(7) Part.— The term ‘part’ means a frame, assembly, component, appliance, engine, propeller, material, part, spare part, piece, section, or related integral or auxiliary equipment. “(8) Space vehicle.— The term ‘space vehicle’ means a man-made device, either manned or unmanned, designed for operation beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. “(9) State.— The term ‘State’ means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States. “(10) Used for commercial purposes.— The term ‘used for commercial purposes’ means the carriage of persons or property for any fare, fee, rate, charge or other consideration, or directly or indirectly in connection with any business, or other undertaking intended for profit. “(b) Terms Defined in Other Law.— In this chapter, the terms ‘aircraft engine’, ‘air navigation facility’, ‘appliance’, ‘civil aircraft’, ‘foreign air commerce’, ‘interstate air commerce’, ‘landing area’, ‘overseas air commerce’, ‘propeller’, ‘spare part’, and ‘special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States’ have the meanings given those terms in sections 40102(a) and 46501 of title 49.”.

   Effective date note
   Amendment by Pub. L. 106–181 applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1999, see section 3 of Pub. L. 106–181, set out as a note under section 106 of Title 49, Transportation.

9 of 10 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial