Bill Details
S.839 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-03-04 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Introduced Date
2025-03-04
Policy Area
Government Operations and Politics
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
Cosponsors
View cosponsors (1)
3
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would stop federal money from being used to enforce rules that require certain federal employees or contractors to use a person’s preferred pronouns when those pronouns do not match that person’s sex, or to use a name other than the person’s legal name. It would also give affected employees and contractors a way to complain and, if needed, sue the federal agency or department they believe broke the rule. The bill sets deadlines for agency responses, allows courts to order relief, and limits some damages. It also defines “sex” in a specific way, based only on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.
- Federal agencies and departments could not use federal funds to carry out, enforce, or administer policies that require employees or contractors to use certain pronouns or a different name for someone.
- If an employee or contractor believes a rule was violated, the agency must issue a formal written response within 30 days after receiving notice.
- If the response is not satisfactory, the employee or contractor could bring a civil lawsuit against the federal agency or department involved.
- A court could grant injunctive relief, compensatory damages, punitive or exemplary damages up to $100,000, and reasonable attorney’s fees. A lawsuit would have to be filed within 1 year of the alleged violation.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 839 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 839
To prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce
measures requiring certain employees to refer to an individual by the
preferred pronouns of such individual or a name other than the legal
name of such individual, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 4, 2025
Mr. Cruz (for himself and Mr. Budd) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce
measures requiring certain employees to refer to an individual by the
preferred pronouns of such individual or a name other than the legal
name of such individual, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Safeguarding Honest Speech Act''.
SEC. 2. NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR COMPELLED LANGUAGE.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
Federal funds may be used for the purpose of implementing,
administering, or enforcing any rule, policy, guidance, recommendation,
or memorandum requiring an employee or contractor of any Federal agency
or Department to use--
(1) another person's preferred pronouns if they are
incompatible with such person's sex; or
(2) a name other than a person's legal name when referring
to such person.
(b) Enforcement.--
(1) In general.--All Federal agencies and Departments shall
ensure that, not later than 30 days following a written notice
from any employee or contractor described in subsection (a)
regarding an alleged violation of subsection (a), a formal
response to the notice is issued to the employee or contractor.
(2) Private right of action.--In the case that the formal
response issued under paragraph (1) does not represent a
satisfactory outcome for the employee or contractor, any
employee or contractor described in subsection (a) and
aggrieved by a violation of subsection (a) may commence a civil
action against the Federal agency or Department responsible for
the alleged violation.
(3) Relief.--In any action under this subsection, the court
may award appropriate relief, including--
(A) temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctive
relief;
(B) compensatory damages;
(C) punitive or exemplary damages, which may not
exceed $100,000; and
(D) reasonable fees for attorneys.
(4) Statute of limitations.--An action under this
subsection shall be brought not later than 1 year after the
date on which the alleged violation of subsection (a) occurred.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Person.--The term ``person'' means an individual.
(2) Sex.--The term ``sex'' means sex recognized based
solely on a person's reproductive biology and genetics at
birth.
<all>