I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2260 

To codify the Bill of Rights. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2021 

Mr. STIVERS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To codify the Bill of Rights. 

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

3 SECTION 1. CODIFICATION OF BILL OF RIGHTS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title 1, United States Code, is 

5 amended by adding at the end the following new chapter: 

6 ‘‘CHAPTER 4—BILL OF RIGHTS 

‘‘401. Free exercise of religion; freedom of speech and assembly; right to petition Government. 

‘‘402. Well regulated militia. 

‘‘403. Quartering of soldiers. 

‘‘404. Unreasonable searches and seizures. 

‘‘405. Due process of law. 

‘‘406. Rights in criminal prosecutions. 

‘‘407. Trial by jury. 

‘‘408. Excessive bail and fines; cruel and unusual punishment. 

‘‘409. Non-enumerated rights. 

‘‘410. Rights reserved to States or people. 


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1 ‘‘§ 401. Free exercise of religion; freedom of speech 

2 and assembly; right to petition Govern3 ment 

4 ‘‘No law shall be enacted in the United States re5 specting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the 

6 free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, 

7 or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to 

8 assemble and to petition the government for a redress of 

9 their grievances. 

10 ‘‘§ 402. Well regulated militia 

11 ‘‘A well regulated militia, being necessary to the secu12 rity of a free state, the right of people to keep and bear 

13 arms, shall not be infringed. 

14 ‘‘§ 403. Quartering of soldiers 

15 ‘‘No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in 

16 any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time 

17 of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. 

18 ‘‘§ 404. Unreasonable searches and seizures 

19 ‘‘The right of the people to be secure in their persons, 

20 houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches 

21 and seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrants shall 

22 issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affir23 mation, and particularly describing the place to be 

24 searched, and the person or things to be seized. 


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1 ‘‘§ 405. Due process of law 

2 ‘‘No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or 

3 otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or in4 dictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the 

5 land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual serv6 ice in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person 

7 be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy 

8 of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case 

9 to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, 

10 liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall 

11 private property be taken for public use, without just com12 pensation. 

13 ‘‘§ 406. Rights in criminal prosecutions 

14 ‘‘In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy 

15 the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury 

16 of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been 

17 committed, which district shall have been previously 

18 ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and 

19 cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the wit20 nesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtain21 ing witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of 

22 counsel for his defense. 

23 ‘‘§ 407. Trial by jury 

24 ‘‘In suits at common law, where the value in con25 troversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by 

26 jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall 


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1 be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, 

2 than according to the rules of the common law. 

3 ‘‘§ 408. Excessive bail and fines; cruel and unusual 

4 punishment 

5 ‘‘Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive 

6 fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments in7 flicted. 

8 ‘‘§ 409. Non-enumerated rights 

9 ‘‘The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain 

10 rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others 

11 retained by the people. 

12 ‘‘§ 410. Rights reserved to States or people 

13 ‘‘The powers not delegated to the United States by 

14 the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are 

15 reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.’’. 

16 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 

17 at the beginning of such title is amended by adding at 

18 the end the following: 

‘‘4. Bill of Rights ................................................................................ 401’’. 

Æ 


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