119-hr5054

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5054 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5054

 To amend 

section 1951 of title 18, United States Code (commonly known 
 as the Hobbs Act), and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 August 26, 2025

 Mr. Perry (for himself, Mr. Ogles, Mr. Cloud, Mr. Crane, and Mr. 
Higgins of Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
 to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend 

section 1951 of title 18, United States Code (commonly known 
 as the Hobbs Act), and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom From Union Violence Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. INTERFERENCE WITH COMMERCE BY THREATS OR VIOLENCE.

 

Section 1951 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as 
follows:
``

Sec. 1951. Interference with commerce by threats or violence
 ``

    (a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection
            (c) , whoever 
in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the 
movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by robbery or 
extortion, or attempts or conspires so to do, or commits or threatens 
physical violence to any person or property in furtherance of a plan or 
purpose to do anything in violation of this section, shall be fined not 
more than $100,000, imprisoned for a term of not more than 20 years, or 
both.
 ``

    (b) 

=== Definitions. ===
-For purposes of this section--
 ``

    (1) the term `commerce' means any--
 ``
        (A) commerce within the District of Columbia, or 
 any territory or possession of the United States;
 ``
        (B) commerce between any point in a State, 
 territory, possession, or the District of Columbia and 
 any point outside thereof;
 ``
            (C) commerce between points within the same State 
 through any place outside that State; and
 ``
            (D) other commerce over which the United States 
 has jurisdiction;
 ``

    (2) the term `extortion' means the obtaining of property 
 from any person, with the consent of that person, if that 
 consent is induced--
 ``
        (A) by actual or threatened use of force or 
 violence, or fear thereof;
 ``
        (B) by wrongful use of fear not involving force 
 or violence; or
 ``
            (C) under color of official right;
 ``

    (3) the term `labor dispute' has the same meaning as in 
 

section 2

    (9) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 
 152

    (9) ); and
 ``

    (4) the term `robbery' means the unlawful taking or 
 obtaining of personal property from the person or in the 
 presence of another, against his or her will, by means of 
 actual or threatened force or violence, or fear of injury, 
 immediate or future--
 ``
        (A) to his or her person or property, or property 
 in his or her custody or possession; or
 ``
        (B) to the person or property of a relative or 
 member of his or her family, or of anyone in his or her 
 company at the time of the taking or obtaining.
 ``
            (c) Exempted Conduct.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Subsection

    (a) does not apply to any 
 conduct that--
 ``
        (A) is incidental to otherwise peaceful picketing 
 during the course of a labor dispute;
 ``
        (B) consists solely of minor bodily injury, or 
 minor damage to property, or threat or fear of such 
 minor injury or damage; and
 ``
            (C) is not part of a pattern of violent conduct 
 or of coordinated violent activity.
 ``

    (2) State and local jurisdiction.--Any violation of this 
 section that involves any conduct described in paragraph

    (1) shall be subject to prosecution only by the appropriate State 
 and local authorities.
 ``
            (d) Effect on Other Law.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed--
 ``

    (1) to repeal, amend, or otherwise affect--
 ``
        (A) section 6 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. 17);
 ``
        (B) section 20 of the Clayton Act (29 U.S.C. 52);
 ``
            (C) any provision of the Norris-LaGuardia Act (29 
 U.S.C. 101 et seq.);
 ``
            (D) any provision of the National Labor Relations 
 Act (29 U.S.C. 151 et seq.); or
 ``
        (E) any provision of the Railway Labor Act (45 
 U.S.C. 151 et seq.); or
 ``

    (2) to preclude Federal jurisdiction over any violation 
 of this section, on the basis that the conduct at issue--
 ``
        (A) is also a violation of State or local law; or
 ``
        (B) occurred during the course of a labor dispute 
 or in pursuit of a legitimate business or labor 
 objective.''.
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