I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6981 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit unauthorized private 
paramilitary activity, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 11, 2024 
Mr. RASKIN (for himself, Mr. CARSON, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. GOLDMAN of New 
York, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. MULLIN, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. TAKANO, and Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit unauthor-
ized private paramilitary activity, 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 ‘‘Preventing Private 
Paramilitary Activity Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF UNAUTHORIZED PRIVATE PARA-
MILITARY ACTIVITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part I of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘CHAPTER 125—UNAUTHORIZED PRIVATE 
PARAMILITARY ACTIVITY 
‘‘2741. Definitions. 
‘‘2742. Unauthorized private paramilitary activity. 
‘‘2743. Preemption. 
‘‘2744. Civil remedies. 
‘‘§ 2741. Definitions 
‘‘In this chapter: 
‘‘(1) AMMUNITION.—The term ‘ammunition’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 921(a). 
‘‘(2) ARMED FORCES.—The term ‘armed forces’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 101 of 
title 10. 
‘‘(3) DANGEROUS
WEAPON.—The term ‘dan-
gerous weapon’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 930(g). 
‘‘(4) EXPLOSIVE OR INCENDIARY DEVICE.—The 
term ‘explosive or incendiary device’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 232. 
‘‘(5) FIREARM.—The term ‘firearm’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 921(a). 
‘‘(6) LARGE CAPACITY AMMUNITION FEEDING 
DEVICE.—The term ‘large capacity ammunition 
feeding device’— 
‘‘(A) means a magazine, belt, drum, feed 
strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, 
or that can be readily restored or converted to 
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accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition; 
and 
‘‘(B) does not include an attached tubular 
device designed to accept, and capable of oper-
ating only with, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. 
‘‘(7) NATIONAL
GUARD.—The term ‘National 
Guard’ has the meaning given that term in section 
101(c) of title 10 and section 101 of title 32. 
‘‘(8) PERSON.—The term ‘person’ means any 
individual, partnership, corporation, company, asso-
ciation, firm, society, organization, or governmental 
entity, whether incorporated or unincorporated. 
‘‘(9) PRIVATE PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATION.— 
The term ‘private paramilitary organization’ means 
any group of 3 or more persons associating under a 
command structure for the purpose of functioning in 
public or training to function in public as a combat, 
combat support, law enforcement, or security serv-
ices unit. 
‘‘(10) REGULARLY
ORGANIZED
STATE
MILI-
TIA.—The term ‘regularly organized State militia’ 
includes a defense force authorized under section 
109(c) of title 32. 
‘‘(11) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means a State 
of the United States, the District of Columbia, and 
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any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 
United States. 
‘‘§ 2742. Unauthorized private paramilitary activity 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—It shall be unlawful to knowingly, 
in a circumstance described in subsection (b), while acting 
as part of or on behalf of a private paramilitary organiza-
tion and armed with a firearm, explosive or incendiary de-
vice, or other dangerous weapon— 
‘‘(1) publically patrol, drill, or engage in tech-
niques capable of causing bodily injury or death; 
‘‘(2) interfere with, interrupt, or attempt to 
interfere with or interrupt government operations or 
a government proceeding; 
‘‘(3) interfere with or intimidate another person 
in that person’s exercise of any right under the Con-
stitution of the United States; 
‘‘(4) assume the functions of a law enforcement 
officer, peace officer, or public official, whether or 
not acting under color of law, and thereby assert au-
thority or purport to assert authority over another 
person without the consent of that person; or 
‘‘(5) train to engage in any activity described in 
paragraphs (1) through (4). 
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‘‘(b) CIRCUMSTANCES.—The circumstances described 
in this subsection are that the conduct described in sub-
section (a)— 
‘‘(1) involves— 
‘‘(A) travel across a State line or national 
border; or 
‘‘(B) the use of the channels, facilities, or 
instrumentalities of interstate or foreign com-
merce; 
‘‘(2) involves a firearm, explosive or incendiary 
device, or dangerous weapon that has traveled in 
interstate or foreign commerce; 
‘‘(3) involves the use of ammunition or a large 
capacity ammunition feeding device that has traveled 
in interstate or foreign commerce; 
‘‘(4) obstructs, delays, or affects interstate or 
foreign commerce; or 
‘‘(5) occurs wholly within any commonwealth, 
territory, or possession of the United States. 
‘‘(c) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not apply 
to— 
‘‘(1) the armed forces of the United States, the 
National Guard, the Naval Militia, any regularly or-
ganized State militia, or any unorganized or reserve 
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militia called into service by a State or the United 
States; 
‘‘(2) a group of individuals who— 
‘‘(A) associate as a military organization 
solely for purposes of historical reenactment or 
study; or 
‘‘(B) parade in public as part of a bona 
fide veterans organization with no intent to en-
gage in the activities prohibited by subsection 
(a); 
‘‘(3) students in an educational institution au-
thorized by the Federal Government or a State to 
teach military science as a prescribed part of the 
course of instruction, when under the supervision of 
a military instructor; or 
‘‘(4) members of an organization that is author-
ized under Federal or State law to provide para-
military, law enforcement, or security services train-
ing or to engage in paramilitary activity, law en-
forcement, or security services when performing the 
functions authorized by law and, in the case of para-
military activity and law enforcement functions, 
when under the direction and control of a govern-
mental authority. 
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‘‘(d) PENALTY.—Any person who violates subsection 
(a) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more 
than 1 year, or both, except that— 
‘‘(1) in the case of a violation that does not re-
sult in bodily injury and is committed by a person 
who has not, prior to the commission of the viola-
tion, been convicted of violating a Federal or State 
law, the person may be sentenced to probation for 
a term of not more than 1 year; 
‘‘(2) in the case of a violation that occurs after 
a prior conviction under this section has become 
final, the person shall be fined under this title, im-
prisoned for not more than 2 years, or both; 
‘‘(3) in the case of a violation that results in 
damage to property, the person shall be fined under 
this title, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or 
both; and 
‘‘(4) in the case of a violation that results in— 
‘‘(A) bodily injury, the person shall be 
fined under this title, imprisoned for not more 
than 5 years, or both; or 
‘‘(B) death, the person shall be fined under 
this title and imprisoned for any term of years 
or for life. 
‘‘(e) FORFEITURE.— 
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‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Any person who violates 
subsection (a) shall forfeit to the United States any 
property, personal or real, involved in, used, or in-
tended to be used, in any manner or part, to com-
mit, or to facilitate the commission of, the violation, 
or that constitutes or is derived from proceeds trace-
able to the violation. 
‘‘(2) PROCEDURES.—Section 413 of the Con-
trolled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 853), with the ex-
ception of subsections (a) and (d), shall apply to the 
criminal forfeiture of property pursuant to this sub-
section. 
‘‘(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to preclude a violation of sub-
section (a) being committed by a person acting separately 
from the other members of the private paramilitary orga-
nization, provided that the violation is committed in fur-
therance of or in coordination with the actions of the other 
members. 
‘‘§ 2743. Preemption 
‘‘Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as indi-
cating an intent on the part of Congress to occupy the 
field in which any provisions of the chapter operate to the 
exclusion of State or local laws on the same subject mat-
ter, nor shall any provision of this chapter be construed 
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to invalidate any provision of State law unless the provi-
sion of State law is inconsistent with any of the purposes 
of this chapter. 
‘‘§ 2744. Civil remedies 
‘‘(a) PUBLIC RIGHT OF ACTION.—Whenever the At-
torney General has reasonable cause to believe that any 
person or group of persons has engaged in or is about 
to engage in any act prohibited by section 2742, the Attor-
ney General may bring a civil action for preventive relief, 
including an application for a permanent or temporary in-
junction, restraining order, or other order, in an appro-
priate district court of the United States. 
‘‘(b) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.—Any person in-
jured as a result of any violation of section 2742 may 
bring a civil action, individually or jointly with other ag-
grieved persons, in an appropriate district court of the 
United States for preventive relief, including an applica-
tion for a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining 
order, or other order, or for damages incurred as a result 
of any violation of section 2742, including reasonable at-
torney fees and costs. 
‘‘(c) FORFEITURE.—Any property subject to for-
feiture pursuant to section 2742 may be forfeited to the 
United States in a civil case in accordance with the proce-
dures set forth in chapter 46.’’. 
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 
for part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘125. Unauthorized Private Paramilitary Activity .............. 2741’’. 
Æ 
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