,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cadb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #i1 #bjbc,mr4   
,gaetz 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,biggs1 ,mr4  
,gosar1 ,mr4 ,burlison1 ,ms4 ,greene of 
,georgia1 ,mrs4 ,miller of ,illinois1   
,mr4 ,c4 ,scott ,franklin of ,florida1  
and ,mr4 ,weber of ,texas7 introduced   
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend title #ah1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to provide an affirmative
 defense for certain criminal           
violations1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,stand ,your ,ground ,act of #bjbc4
  #b4 ,certain affirmative defenses  7a7
 ,affirmative defense ,part ,i of title 
#ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following new  
chapter3  #abd ,affirmative defenses    
#bgcj4 ,affirmative defense for certain 
criminal violations  7a7 ,use or        
threatened use of force in defense of   
person ,it shall be an affirmative      

defense to a violation of this title if3
 7#a7 ,a person is justified in using1  
threatening1 or attempting to use force1
 except deadly force1 against another   
when and to the extent that the person  
reasonably believes that such conduct is
 necessary to defend himself or herself 
or another against an agressor's        
imminent use of unlawful force4 ,a      
person who uses or threatens to use     
force in accordance with this paragraph 
does not have a duty to retreat before  
using or threatening to use such force4 
7#b7 ,a person is justified in using1   
threatening1 or attempting to use deadly
 force if he or she reasonably believes 
that using1 threatening1 or attempting  
to use such force is necessary to       
prevent imminent death or great bodily  
harm to himself or herself or another or
 to prevent the imminent commission of a
 forcible felony4 ,a person who uses1   
threatens1 or attempts to use deadly    
force in accordance with this paragraph 
does not have a duty to retreat and has 

the right to stand his or her ground if 
the person using1 threatening1 or       
attempts to use the deadly force is not 
engaged in a criminal activity and is in
 a place where he or she has a right to 
be4  7b7 ,definitions ,in this section3 
7#a7 ,duty to retreat ,the term duty to 
retreat means that if a person is under 
attack1 he or she should first seek     
retreat as the preferred alternative to 
using force to act in self-defense4     
7#b7 ,forcible felony ,the term forcible
 felony includes treason1 murder1       
manslaughter1 sexual battery1           
carjacking1 home-invasion robbery1      
robbery1 burglary1 arson1 kidnapping1   
aggravated assault1 aggravated battery1 
aggravated stalking1 aircraft piracy1   
unlawful throwing1 placing1 or          
discharging of a destructive device or  
bomb1 and any other felony which        
involves the use or threat of physical  
force or violence against any           
individual4  7#c7 ,stand your ground    
,the term stand your ground means the   

allowance of an individual to defend    
himself or herself by any means         
necessary when his or her life is       
threatened4  4  7b7 ,effective date2    
,applicability ,the amendments made     
under subsection 7a7 shall take effect  
on the date of the enactment of this    
,act and may be used as an affirmative  
defense by a defendant in the           
prosecution of a criminal offense       
initiated after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act4