Support Peaceful Protest Act

Bill: 116-s-4553
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
Introduced: 2020-09-09
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Criminal procedure and sentencing

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Law enforcement administration and funding

Protest and dissent

Unemployment

Violent crime
Latest action: action_date: 2020-09-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-09-09
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Support Peaceful Protest Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires an individual who is convicted of a federal offense related to the individual's conduct (e.g., rioting) during the course of a public gathering to pay the cost of federal policing activity during the public gathering. In addition, such an individual is ineligible for pandemic unemployment assistance.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4553 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 9, 2020 Mr. Cotton (for himself and Mrs. Loeffler ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To hold individuals convicted of Federal offenses during public gatherings resulting in riots financially liable for the cost of Federal policing, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Support Peaceful Protest Act . 2. Definition In this Act, the term covered Federal offense , with respect to an individual, means a Federal offense related to the conduct of the individual at and during the course of a public gathering— (1) in connection with which a riot (as defined in section 2102 of title 18, United States Code) occurs; and (2) with respect to which a Federal law enforcement officer was engaged in policing activity. 3. Order of restitution In the case of an individual convicted of a covered Federal offense, the court shall, in addition to the penalty for such conviction, order the individual to pay an order of restitution to the appropriate Federal law enforcement agency in an amount that is equal to the cost of the policing activity engaged in by the Federal law enforcement agency, as determined by the court. 4. Ineligibility for Federally funded unemployment benefits In the case of an individual convicted of a covered Federal offense, following the date of such conviction, such individual shall not be eligible for any unemployment benefits which are financed in whole or in part with Federal funds during the COVID–19 public health emergency (as such term is defined in section 2102 of the CARES Act ( 15 U.S.C. 9021 )), including any Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation under section 2104 of the CARES Act ( 15 U.S.C. 9023 ).