I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 425 
To amend the Revised Statutes of the United States to prevent the use 
of the legal system in a manner that extorts money from State and 
local governments, and the Federal Government, and inhibits such gov-
ernments’ constitutional actions under the first, tenth, and fourteenth 
amendments. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 20, 2023 
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana (for himself, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. BIGGS, and Mr. 
WEBER of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Revised Statutes of the United States to 
prevent the use of the legal system in a manner that 
extorts money from State and local governments, and 
the Federal Government, and inhibits such governments’ 
constitutional actions under the first, tenth, and four-
teenth amendments. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘History and Tradition 
Protection Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS ON CERTAIN LAWSUITS AGAINST 
STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS. 
(a) CIVIL ACTION FOR DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS.— 
Section 1979 of the Revised Statutes of the United States 
(42 U.S.C. 1983) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before the first sentence; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) The remedies with respect to a claim under this 
section are limited to injunctive and declaratory relief 
where the deprivation consists of a violation of a prohibi-
tion in the Constitution against the establishment of reli-
gion, including, but not limited to, a violation resulting 
from— 
‘‘(1) any monument, memorial, statue, or other 
figure containing religious words, imagery, or sym-
bolism; 
‘‘(2) a public building containing religious 
words, imagery, or symbolism; 
‘‘(3) the presence of religious words, imagery, 
or symbolism in the official seals and flags of the 
several States and the political subdivision thereof; 
or 
‘‘(4) religious expression in the context of the 
proceedings of any deliberative body or division of 
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any State or deliberative body or division of the sev-
eral States.’’. 
(b) ATTORNEY’S FEES.—Section 722(b) of the Re-
vised Statutes of the United States (42 U.S.C. 1988(b)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘However, 
no fees shall be awarded under this subsection with re-
spect to a claim described in subsection (b) of section nine-
teen hundred and seventy nine.’’. 
SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON CERTAIN LAWSUITS AGAINST THE 
UNITED STATES AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, a court shall not award reasonable fees and 
expenses of attorneys to the prevailing party on a claim 
of injury consisting of the violation of a prohibition in the 
Constitution against the establishment of religion brought 
against the United States or any agency or any official 
of the United States acting in his or her official capacity 
in any court having jurisdiction over such claim, and the 
remedies with respect to such a claim shall be limited to 
injunctive and declaratory relief. 
(b) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term 
‘‘a claim of injury consisting of the violation of a prohibi-
tion in the Constitution against the establishment of reli-
gion’’ includes, but is not limited to, a claim of injury re-
sulting from— 
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(1) any monument, memorial, statue, or other 
figure containing religious words, imagery, or sym-
bolism; 
(2) a Federal building containing religious 
words, imagery, or symbolism; 
(3) the presence of religious words, imagery, or 
symbolism in the official seal of the United States 
and in its currency and official Pledge; or 
(4) religious expression in the context of the 
proceedings of any deliberative body or division of 
the legislative or executive branches of the United 
States. 
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act and the amendments made by this Act take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and apply 
to any case that— 
(1) is pending on such date of enactment; or 
(2) is commenced on or after such date of en-
actment. 
Æ 
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