Public Servant Anti-Intimidation Act of 2022

Bill: 117-hr-8962
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]
Introduced: 2022-09-22
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action: action_date: 2022-09-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-09-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Public Servant Anti-Intimidation Act of 2022</b></p> <p>This bill creates a new federal crime for knowingly publishing on the internet or otherwise making publicly available the personal information of a public servant or a spouse, child, parent, or sibling of a public servant.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8962 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 22, 2022 Mr. Gohmert (for himself and Mrs. Miller of Illinois ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the publication of personal information of public servants on the internet, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Public Servant Anti-Intimidation Act of 2022 . 2. Prohibition on disclosing personal information of public servants on the Internet (a) In general Chapter 93 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 1925. Publication of personal information of public servants (a) Offense Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly publishes on the Internet or otherwise makes publicly available, the personal information of a public servant or the immediate family member of a public servant, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than one year, or both. (b) Exception Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to personal information— (1) published on the Internet or otherwise made publicly available before an individual became a public servant; or (2) published on the Internet or otherwise made publicly available with the consent of the public servant or the immediate family member of a public servant. (c) Civil action A public servant or immediate family member of a public servant who is a victim of an offense under subsection (a) may bring a civil action in an appropriate United States district court for equitable relief, damages in an amount that is presumed to be not less than $10,000, and attorney’s fees. (d) Rule of construction Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 230 ) does not apply to a provider of any type of interactive computer service with respect to liability under this section. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) The term public servant means— (A) an officer or employee of the Executive, Legislative, or Judicial branch of the Federal Government; (B) the President; and (C) a Member of Congress (as such term is defined in section 2106 of title 5). (2) The term personal information means a person’s home address, home phone number, personal cell phone number, Social Security Number, or other personal identification number. (3) The term interactive computer service has the meaning given the term in section 230(f) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 230(f) ). (4) The term immediate family member means a spouse, child, parent, or sibling. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections for chapter 93 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 1925. Publication of personal information of public servants. .