I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2812 

To encourage States to prohibit ‘‘stand your ground’’ laws and require neighborhood watch programs to register with local law enforcement agencies 

and the Department of Justice, to direct the Attorney General to study 

such laws, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 24, 2013 

Ms. JACKSON LEE (for herself, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. BASS, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. 

LEWIS, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. GUTIE ́RREZ, Ms. HAHN, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, and Mr. COHEN) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To encourage States to prohibit ‘‘stand your ground’’ laws 

and require neighborhood watch programs to register 

with local law enforcement agencies and the Department 

of Justice, to direct the Attorney General to study such 

laws, 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 ‘‘Justice Exists for All 

5 of Us Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STATE ‘‘STAND YOUR GROUND’’ LAWS AND NEIGH2 BORHOOD WATCH REGISTRATION. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year after the ex4 piration of the period of implementation specified in sub5 section (b), a State shall— 

6 (1) not have in effect throughout the State any 

7 law or policy that allows a person to use deadly force 

8 when such person is threatened that does not impose 

9 a duty to retreat before using such force in any 

10 place where such person is lawfully present (com11 monly known as ‘‘stand your ground laws’’), except 

12 that a State may have in place a law or policy that 

13 permits a victim of domestic violence to use deadly 

14 force when such victim is threatened and does not 

15 impose a duty on the victim to retreat before using 

16 such force in any place where such victim is lawfully 

17 present; and 

18 (2) have in effect throughout the State laws 

19 and policies that make it unlawful to establish, orga20 nize, operate, or participate in a neighborhood watch 

21 program unless such program is registered with— 

22 (A) the local law enforcement agency that 

23 has jurisdiction over the neighborhood in which 

24 the program is located; and 


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1 (B) the Department of Justice, in accord2 ance with regulations promulgated by the Attor3 ney General. 

4 (b) PERIOD FOR IMPLEMENTATION BY STATES.— 

5 (1) DEADLINE.—Each State shall implement 

6 this section before 3 years after the date of the en7 actment of this Act. 

8 (2) EXTENSIONS.—The Attorney General may 

9 authorize up to two 1-year extensions of the deadline 

10 in paragraph (1). 

11 (c) FAILURE OF STATE TO COMPLY.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—For any fiscal year after the 

13 end of the period for implementation under sub14 section (b), a State that fails, as determined by the 

15 Attorney General, to substantially implement this 

16 section shall not receive 20 percent of the funds that 

17 would otherwise be allocated for that fiscal year to 

18 the State under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the 

19 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 

20 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.). 

21 (2) STATE CONSTITUTIONALITY.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—When evaluating 

23 whether a State has substantially implemented 

24 this section, the Attorney General shall consider 

25 whether the State is unable to substantially imVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:43 Jul 26, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2812.IH H2812

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1 plement this section because of a demonstrated 

2 inability to implement certain provisions that 

3 would place the State in violation of its con4 stitution, as determined by a ruling of the 

5 State’s highest court. 

6 (B) EFFORTS.—If the circumstances arise 

7 under subparagraph (A), then the Attorney 

8 General and the State shall make good faith ef9 forts to accomplish substantial implementation 

10 of this section and to reconcile any conflicts be11 tween this section and the State’s constitution. 

12 In considering whether compliance with the re13 quirements of this section would likely violate 

14 the State’s constitution or an interpretation 

15 thereof by the State’s highest court, the Attor16 ney General shall consult with the chief execu17 tive and chief legal officer of the State con18 cerning the State’s interpretation of the State’s 

19 constitution and rulings thereon by the State’s 

20 highest court. 

21 (C) ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES.—If the 

22 State is unable to substantially implement this 

23 section because of a limitation imposed by the 

24 State’s constitution, the Attorney General may 

25 determine that the State is in compliance with 


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1 this Act if the State has implemented, or is in 

2 the process of implementing, reasonable alter3 native procedures or accommodations that are 

4 consistent with the purposes of this Act. 

5 (D) FUNDING REDUCTION.—If a State 

6 does not comply with subparagraph (C), then 

7 the State shall be subject to a funding reduc8 tion as specified in paragraph (1). 

9 (3) REALLOCATION.—Amounts not allocated 

10 under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus 

11 Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 

12 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.) to a State for failure to sub13 stantially implement this section shall be reallocated 

14 under such subpart to States that have not failed to 

15 substantially implement this section or may be re16 allocated to a State from which they were withheld 

17 to be used solely for the purpose of implementing 

18 this section. 

19 (d) DEFINITION OF STATE.—In this section the term 

20 ‘‘State’’ shall have the meaning given such term in section 

21 901(a) of Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 

22 of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3791(a) et seq.). 

23 SEC. 3. STUDY ON ‘‘STAND YOUR GROUND’’ LAWS. 

24 (a) AUTHORITY.—Not later than one year after the 

25 date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall 


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1 conduct a study of State laws that allow a person to use 

2 deadly force when such person is threatened and do not 

3 impose a duty to retreat before using such force in any 

4 place where such person is lawfully present (commonly 

5 known as ‘‘stand your ground laws’’). 

6 (b) CONTENTS OF STUDY.—In conducting the study 

7 under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall examine 

8 each of the following: 

9 (1) The effect that stand your ground laws have 

10 on rates of violent deaths, including determining 

11 whether States that have stand your ground laws 

12 have higher rates of violent deaths than States that 

13 do not have such laws. 

14 (2) Whether women and minorities are targets 

15 of the force authorized by stand your ground laws 

16 at a higher rate than the general population. 

17 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after com18 pleting the study conducted under subsection (a), the At19 torney General shall report the findings of such study to 

20 Congress. 

Æ 


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