I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7129 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to limit the authority of the President 
to use the militia or Armed Forces to enforce Federal authority or 
to provide Federal aid to State governments, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 8, 2020 
Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Mr. BEYER, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. WELCH, 
Mr. NEAL, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, 
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MEEKS, and Mr. TED 
LIEU of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to limit the authority 
of the President to use the militia or Armed Forces 
to enforce Federal authority or to provide Federal aid 
to State governments, 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 ‘‘Stop Using Military 
Force Against Civilians Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO USE MILITIA OR ARMED FORCES TO 
ENFORCE FEDERAL AUTHORITY OR PROVIDE 
FEDERAL AID TO STATE GOVERNMENTS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the use of authorities under chapter 13 of title 
10, United States Code, to abridge the exercise of rights 
guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitu-
tion of the United States, including to silence protected 
demonstrations and protests, is unlawful and not in the 
interest of the United States. 
(b) LIMITATION ON DURATION OF AUTHORITY.— 
(1) LIMITATION.—Chapter 13 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 256. Limitation on duration of authority 
‘‘(a) LIMITATION ON DURATION.—Subject to sub-
section (b) and except in the case of a natural disaster, 
the authority to call into Federal service or use the militia 
of a State or the armed forces pursuant to section 251, 
252, or 253 of this chapter with respect to one set of 
events shall expire after a period of not more than three 
days. Upon termination of such authority, the President 
shall withdraw any militia or armed forces called into Fed-
eral service or used pursuant to such sections. 
‘‘(b) CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION FOR EXTEN-
SION.—Upon the termination of the period specified in 
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subsection (a), the President may extend the authority re-
ferred to in such subsection for a period of not more than 
14 days, if a law is enacted specifically authorizing such 
extension. Not more than two such authorizations for ex-
tension may be enacted into law with respect to any one 
set of events.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) FEDERAL
AID
FOR
STATE
GOVERN-
MENTS.—Section 251 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘Whenever’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Subject to section 256 of this title, 
whenever’’. 
(B) USE OF MILITIA AND ARMED FORCES 
TO
ENFORCE
FEDERAL
AUTHORITY.—Section 
252 of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ‘‘Whenever’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject 
to section 256 of this title, whenever’’. 
(C) INTERFERENCE
WITH
STATE
AND 
FEDERAL LAW.—Section 253 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘The 
President’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to section 
256 of this title, the President’’. 
(3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of chapter 13 of title 10, 
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United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item: 
‘‘256. Limitation on duration of authority.’’. 
(c) INCLUSION OF TERRITORIES.—Section 255 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking 
‘‘Guam’’ and all that follows through the period and in-
serting ‘‘each State of the United States, the District of 
Columbia, each commonwealth, territory, or possession of 
the United States, and each federally recognized Indian 
Tribe.’’. 
Æ 
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