I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5947 
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, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 12, 2012 
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas 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, 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 ‘‘Justice Exists for All 
of Us Act of 2012’’. 
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SEC. 2. STATE ‘‘STAND YOUR GROUND’’ LAWS AND NEIGH-
BORHOOD WATCH REGISTRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year after the ex-
piration of the period of implementation specified in sub-
section (b), a State shall— 
(1) not have in effect throughout the State any 
law or policy that allows a person to use deadly force 
when such person is threatened that does not impose 
a duty to retreat before using such force in any 
place where such person is lawfully present (com-
monly known as ‘‘stand your ground laws’’), except 
that a State may have in place a law or policy that 
permits a victim of domestic violence to use deadly 
force when such victim is threatened and does not 
impose a duty to on the victim to retreat before 
using such force in any place where such victim is 
lawfully present; and 
(2) have in effect throughout the State laws 
and policies that make it unlawful to establish, orga-
nize, operate, or participate in a Neighborhood 
Watch program unless such program is registered 
with— 
(A) the local law enforcement agency that 
has jurisdiction over the neighborhood in which 
the program is located; and 
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(B) the Department of Justice, in accord-
ance with regulations promulgated by the Attor-
ney General. 
(b) PERIOD FOR IMPLEMENTATION BY STATES.— 
(1) DEADLINE.—Each State shall implement 
this section before 3 years after the date of the en-
actment of this Act. 
(2) EXTENSIONS.—The Attorney General may 
authorize up to two 1-year extensions of the deadline 
in paragraph (1). 
(c) FAILURE OF STATE TO COMPLY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—For any fiscal year after the 
end of the period for implementation under sub-
section (b), a State that fails, as determined by the 
Attorney General, to substantially implement this 
section shall not receive 20 percent of the funds that 
would otherwise be allocated for that fiscal year to 
the State under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the 
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.). 
(2) STATE CONSTITUTIONALITY.— 
(A) 
IN
GENERAL.—When 
evaluating 
whether a State has substantially implemented 
this section, the Attorney General shall consider 
whether the State is unable to substantially im-
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plement this section because of a demonstrated 
inability to implement certain provisions that 
would place the State in violation of its con-
stitution, as determined by a ruling of the 
State’s highest court. 
(B) EFFORTS.—If the circumstances arise 
under subparagraph (A), then the Attorney 
General and the State shall make good faith ef-
forts to accomplish substantial implementation 
of this section and to reconcile any conflicts be-
tween this section and the State’s constitution. 
In considering whether compliance with the re-
quirements of this section would likely violate 
the State’s constitution or an interpretation 
thereof by the State’s highest court, the Attor-
ney General shall consult with the chief execu-
tive and chief legal officer of the State con-
cerning the State’s interpretation of the State’s 
constitution and rulings thereon by the State’s 
highest court. 
(C) ALTERNATIVE
PROCEDURES.—If the 
State is unable to substantially implement this 
section because of a limitation imposed by the 
State’s constitution, the Attorney General may 
determine that the State is in compliance with 
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this Act if the State has implemented, or is in 
the process of implementing, reasonable alter-
native procedures or accommodations that are 
consistent with the purposes of this Act. 
(D) FUNDING
REDUCTION.—If a State 
does not comply with subparagraph (C), then 
the State shall be subject to a funding reduc-
tion as specified in paragraph (1). 
(3) REALLOCATION.—Amounts not allocated 
under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
U.S.C. 3750 et seq.) to a State for failure to sub-
stantially implement this section shall be reallocated 
under such subpart to States that have not failed to 
substantially implement this section or may be re-
allocated to a State from which they were withheld 
to be used solely for the purpose of implementing 
this section. 
(d) DEFINITION OF STATE.—In this section the term 
‘‘State’’ shall have the meaning given such term in section 
901(a) of Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3791(a) et seq.). 
Æ 
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