"Attempted" Crimes Language Blocked from Corporate Accountability Bill

An attempt to include language in the "Corporate Accountability Bill," H.R. 3763, that would have amended the federal criminal code to punish criminal "attempts" with the same penalty as the underlying crime was unsuccessful. NRA and other opponents of the proposal pointed out that it would have created a vague new category of crimes that could be subject to overlybroad interpretation. NRA opposed the measure, pointing out that it could have subjected innocent mistakes or misunderstandings to federal criminal prosecution.

Instead of the nebulous "attempted" crime language, the final bill focuses only on key federal financial crimes, and would create a new crime for any attempts to defraud shareholders, even if those attempts are not successful. NRA pointed out that most states already allow for people to be punished for attempting to commit most serious crimes without actually completing the act, such as in cases of attempted rape and murder, so a new federal law in this area was not necessary.