SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Memorials, 
Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions 
of Religion Protection Act of 2009’’. 
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) a veterans’ memorial’s containing religious 
words or imagery; 
‘‘(2) a public building’s containing religious 
words or imagery; 
‘‘(3) the presence of religious words or imagery 
in the official seals of the several States and the po-
litical subdivisions thereof; or 
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‘‘(4) the chartering of Boy Scout units by com-
ponents of States and political subdivisions, and the 
Boy Scouts’ using public buildings of States and po-
litical subdivisions.’’. 
(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-
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gion’’ includes, but is not limited to, a claim of injury re-
sulting from— 
(1) a veterans’ memorial’s containing religious 
words or imagery; 
(2) a Federal building’s containing religious 
words or imagery; 
(3) the presence of religious words or imagery 
in the official seal of the United States and in its 
currency and official Pledge; or 
(4) the chartering of Boy Scout units by com-
ponents of the Armed Forces of the United States 
and by other public entities, and the Boy Scouts’ 
using Department of Defense and other public in-
stallations. 
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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