,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ijfj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ca1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,kennedy introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to amend section #aigi of the  
,revised ,statutes of the ,united       
,states to clarify that ,states are     
persons for purposes of liability under 
that section1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3 7#a7 ,the ,united ,states    
,supreme ,court has held that the       
,eleventh ,amendment grants sovereign   
immunity to ,states in ,federal court   
absent a waiver by the ,state or        
congressional action4  7#b7 ,the ,united
 ,states ,supreme ,court has further    
held that a lawsuit brought under       
section #aigi of the ,revised ,statutes 
of the ,united ,states 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aihc7 against a government official for
 actions taken in their official        
capacity is to be treated as a lawsuit  

against the entity of which the officer 
is an agent4  7#c7 ,due to sovereign    
immunity1 lawsuits for actions brought  
under such section may be filed against 
a ,state government official in their   
personal capacity but not in their      
official capacity4  7#d7 ,this ,act does
 not increase liability for government  
officials in personal capacity cases in 
any way1 but helps to ensure equitable  
and monetary relief for victims of civil
 rights violations4  #b4 ,liability of  
,states for actions under color of law  
,section #aigi of the ,revised ,statutes
 of the ,united ,states 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#aihc7 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3 ,for purposes of this    
section1 the term person includes a     
,state or ,commonwealth1 and a          
department1 office1 or officer acting in
 their official capacity1 thereof4