118th Congress Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
H.R. 425: History and Tradition Protection Act of 2023
Introduced
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed House (not reached)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
History and Tradition Protection Act of 2023
This bill limits the types of relief that may be awarded in civil suits that involve violations of the Constitution's Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion.
Current law provides a statutory civil cause of action against state and local government actors for violations of constitutional rights, also known as Section 1983 lawsuits. The bill limits relief for Section 1983 lawsuits that involve violations of the Establishment Clause to injunctive and declaratory relief (i.e., nonmonetary relief) and prohibits the award of attorneys' fees in these cases, including those that involve monuments, public buildings, official seals, and government proceedings. The bill applies the same restrictions to similar lawsuits against federal agencies.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Andy Biggs R-AZOriginal
- Matt Gaetz R-FLOriginal
- Randy Weber R-TXOriginal
- David Rouzer R-NC
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History
- Introduced in the House by Mike Johnson.
Show the full action history (2 actions)
- Introduced in House
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.