I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7135 
To amend the Insurrection Act to curtail violations against the civil liberties 
of the people of the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 8, 2020 
Ms. OMAR (for herself, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. POCAN, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. NOR-
TON, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. LEE of 
California, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. SEWELL of 
Alabama, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, and Mrs. NAPOLITANO) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 
and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Insurrection Act to curtail violations against 
the civil liberties of the people of the United States, 
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 ‘‘Curtailing Insurrection 
act Violations of Individuals’ Liberties Act’’ or ‘‘CIVIL 
Act’’. 
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thority of the United States, make it impracticable to en-
force the laws of the United States in any State by the 
ordinary course of judicial proceedings, the President may 
call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, 
and use such of the armed forces, as the President con-
siders necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the 
rebellion. 
‘‘(b) CERTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.— 
‘‘(1) The President may not invoke the author-
ity under this section unless the President, the Sec-
retary of Defense, and the Attorney General certify 
to Congress that the State concerned is unable or 
unwilling to suppress an unlawful obstruction, com-
bination, or assemblage, or rebellion against the au-
thority of the United States described in subsection 
(a). 
‘‘(2) A certification under paragraph (1) shall 
include the following: 
‘‘(A) A description of the circumstances 
necessitating the invocation of the authority 
under this section. 
‘‘(B) Demonstrable evidence that the State 
concerned is unable or unwilling to suppress 
such unlawful obstruction, combination, or as-
semblage, or rebellion against the authority of 
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the United States, and a legal justification for 
resorting to the authority under this section to 
so suppress. 
‘‘(C) A description of the mission, scope, 
and duration of use of members of the armed 
forces under this section.’’. 
SEC. 4. INTERFERENCE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL LAW. 
Section 253 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 253. Interference with State and Federal law 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—(1) The President, by using the 
militia or the armed forces, or both, or by any other 
means, shall take such measures as he considers necessary 
to suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic vio-
lence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy, if it— 
‘‘(A) so hinders the execution of the laws of 
that State, and of the United States within the 
State, that any part or class of its people is deprived 
of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named 
in the Constitution and secured by law, and the con-
stituted authorities of that State are unable, fail, or 
refuse to protect that right, privilege, or immunity, 
or to give that protection; or 
‘‘(B) opposes or obstructs the execution of the 
Federal or State laws to protect the civil rights of 
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the people of the United States under the Constitu-
tion and impedes the course of justice under those 
laws. 
‘‘(2) In any situation covered by paragraph (1)(A), 
the State shall be considered to have denied the equal pro-
tection of the laws secured by the Constitution. 
‘‘(b) CERTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.— 
‘‘(1) The President may not invoke the author-
ity under this section unless the President, the Sec-
retary of Defense, and the Attorney General certify 
to Congress that the State concerned is unable or 
unwilling to suppress an insurrection, domestic vio-
lence, an unlawful combination, or a conspiracy de-
scribed in subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) A certification under paragraph (1) shall 
include the following: 
‘‘(A) A description of the circumstances 
necessitating the invocation of the authority 
under this section. 
‘‘(B) Demonstrable evidence that the State 
concerned is unable or unwilling to suppress 
such insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful 
combination, or conspiracy, and a legal jus-
tification for resorting to the authority under 
this section to so suppress. 
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‘‘(C) A description of the mission, scope, 
and duration of use of members of the armed 
forces under this section.’’. 
SEC. 5. CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS. 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 13 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 256. Consultation 
‘‘The President, in every possible instance, shall con-
sult with Congress before invoking the authority under 
section 251, 252, or 253.’’. 
(2) TECHNICAL
AND
CONFORMING
AMEND-
MENT.—The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 13 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘256. Consultation.’’. 
SEC. 6. TERMINATION AND EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY 
UNDER THE INSURRECTION ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 13 of title 10, United 
States Code, as amended by section 5, is further amended 
by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 257. Termination of authority and expedited proce-
dures for extension by joint resolution of 
Congress 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) 14-DAY PERIOD.—With respect to an invo-
cation of authority under section 251, 252, or 253, 
the term ‘14-day period’ means, as applicable— 
‘‘(A) in the case of an invocation of au-
thority on a date on which Congress is in ses-
sion, the period beginning on the date on which 
the President invokes such authority and end-
ing on the date that is 14 calendar days after 
the date of such invocation; or 
‘‘(B) in the case of an invocation of au-
thority on a date on which Congress is ad-
journed, the period beginning on the date on 
which the next session of Congress commences 
and ending on the date that is 14 calendar days 
after the date of such commencement. 
‘‘(2) JOINT RESOLUTION.—The term ‘joint res-
olution’ means a joint resolution— 
‘‘(A) that is introduced with respect to the 
invocation of authority under section 251, 252, 
or 253 during the 14-day period; 
‘‘(B) which does not have a preamble; 
‘‘(C) the title of which is as follows: ‘Joint 
resolution relating to the extension of authority 
for purposes of lllll of title 10, United 
States Code’, the blank space being filled in 
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with whether the extension relates to the provi-
sion of Federal aid for State governments 
under section 251, the use of militia and armed 
forces to enforce Federal authority under sec-
tion 252, or the suppression of interference 
with State and Federal law under section 253; 
and 
‘‘(D) the matter after the resolving clause 
of which is as follows: ‘That Congress extends 
the authority to llllll, invoked by the 
President on llllll .’, the first blank 
space being filled in with whether the extension 
relates to the provision of Federal aid for State 
governments, the use of militia and armed 
forces to enforce Federal authority, or the sup-
pression of interference with State and Federal 
law, and the second blank space being filled in 
with the date on which the President invoked 
such authority. 
‘‘(b) 
JOINT
RESOLUTION
ENACTED.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of this section, if, not later 
than the last day of the 14-day period, there is enacted 
into law a joint resolution, the period of such authority 
shall be extended for a period to be determined by Con-
gress and expressed in the joint resolution. 
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