I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1613 
To amend the Revised Statutes of the United States to provide for legal 
protection against frivolous lawsuits directed at statutes prohibiting pick-
eting at military and other funerals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 20, 2007 
Mr. TIAHRT (for himself, Mr. LINDER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. 
PITTS, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, and Mr. 
GARRETT of New Jersey) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Revised Statutes of the United States to 
provide for legal protection against frivolous lawsuits di-
rected at statutes prohibiting picketing at military and 
other funerals, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Sons and Daughters 
of America Act’’. 
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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 the right 
to freedom of speech secured by the Constitution, and 
such violation is the result of a statute, ordinance, regula-
tion, custom, or usage which prohibits or restricts pick-
eting, protesting, or demonstrating at a funeral or any 
other ceremony, procession, or memorial service held in 
connection with the burial or cremation of the dead.’’. 
(b) ATTORNEYS’ 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.’’. 
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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 described in subsection (b) 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) CLAIMS TO WHICH LIMITATIONS APPLY.—Sub-
section (a) shall apply with respect to any claim of injury 
consisting of the violation of the right to freedom of speech 
secured by the Constitution, if such violation is the result 
of a statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage which 
prohibits or restricts picketing, protesting, or dem-
onstrating at a funeral or any other ceremony, procession, 
or memorial service held in connection with the burial or 
cremation of the dead. 
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 shall 
apply to any case that— 
(1) is pending on such date of enactment; or 
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(2) is commenced on or after such date of en-
actment. 
Æ 
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