II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3318 

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 

NOVEMBER 15, 2023 

Mr. CRUZ 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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safeguarding Honest 

5 Speech Act’’. 


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•S 3318 IS

1 SEC. 2. NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR COMPELLED LANGUAGE. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi3 sion of law, no Federal funds may be used for the purpose 

4 of implementing, administering, or enforcing any rule, pol5 icy, guidance, recommendation, or memorandum requiring 

6 an employee or contractor of any Federal agency or De7 partment to use— 

8 (1) another person’s preferred pronouns if they 

9 are incompatible with such person’s sex; or 

10 (2) a name other than a person’s legal name 

11 when referring to such person. 

12 (b) ENFORCEMENT.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—All Federal agencies and 

14 Departments shall ensure that, not later than 30 

15 days following a written notice from any employee or 

16 contractor described in subsection (a) regarding an 

17 alleged violation of subsection (a), a formal response 

18 to the notice is issued to the employee or contractor. 

19 (2) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.—In the case 

20 that the formal response issued under paragraph (1) 

21 does not represent a satisfactory outcome for the 

22 employee or contractor, any employee or contractor 

23 described in subsection (a) and aggrieved by a viola24 tion of subsection (a) may commence a civil action 

25 against the Federal agency or Department respon26 sible for the alleged violation. 


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•S 3318 IS

1 (3) RELIEF.—In any action under this sub2 section, the court may award appropriate relief, in3 cluding— 

4 (A) temporary, preliminary, or permanent 

5 injunctive relief; 

6 (B) compensatory damages; 

7 (C) punitive or exemplary damages, which 

8 may not exceed $100,000; and 

9 (D) reasonable fees for attorneys. 

10 (4) STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.—An action 

11 under this subsection shall be brought not later than 

12 1 year after the date on which the alleged violation 

13 of subsection (a) occurred. 

14 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

15 (1) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means an in16 dividual. 

17 (2) SEX.—The term ‘‘sex’’ means sex recog18 nized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology 

19 and genetics at birth. 

Æ 


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