,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gegb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #ac1       
#bjbf,mr4 ,crenshaw introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to protect the civil rights of 
individuals against unlawful vigilante  
checkpoints and identity demands1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,no      
,vigilante ,checkpoints and ,civil      
,rights ,protection ,act of #bjbf4  #b4 
,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,the ,fourth ,amendment protects  
the right of individuals to be free from
 unreasonable searches and seizures1    
including unlawful vehicle stops and    
demands for identification4  7#b7 ,in   
recent years1 private individuals and   
organizations have engaged in conduct   
resembling law enforcement activities1  
including vehicle stops1 identity       
checks1 and license plate surveillance1 
without lawful authority4  7#c7 ,such   

conduct undermines public safety1       
interferes with ,federal operations1 and
 deprives individuals of rights secured 
by the ,constitution and laws of the    
,united ,states4  7#d7 ,congress has    
authority under article ,i1 section #h1 
and section #e of the ,fourteenth       
,amendment to protect civil rights and  
ensure the unobstructed execution of    
,federal law4  #c4 ,prohibition on false
 assumption of government authority in  
immigration enforcement  7a7 ,in general
 ,chapter #cc of title #ah1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #gji the following3       
#gji;,a4 ,false assumption of government
 authority in law enforcement  7a7      
,offense ,whoever1 without lawful       
authority1 knowingly-- 7#a7 stops1      
detains1 or attempts to stop or detain  
any individual or vehicle on a public   
roadway2  7#b7 demands or requests      
identification2  7#c7 demands or        
requests to search property or persons2 
or  7#d7 uses or operates any device or 

system to collect1 access1 or analyze   
license plate or vehicle identification 
data4  ,for the purpose of enforcing1   
monitoring1 obstructing1 or influencing 
,federal law enforcement operations1    
shall be guilty of an offense under this
 section4  7b7 ,penalties ,a violation  
of this section shall be punishable by--
 7#a7 imprisonment for not more than #e 
years2  7#b7 a fine under this title2 or
  7#c7 both4  7c7 ,aggravated offense   
,if the offense-- 7#a7 involves the use 
or display of a firearm or other        
dangerous weapon2  7#b7 results in      
bodily injury2 or  7#c7 interferes with 
or targets a ,federal officer or        
,federal operation2  the offender shall 
be imprisoned for not more than #aj     
years4  7d7 ,rule of construction       
,nothing in this section shall be       
construed to prohibit lawful protest1   
speech1 or assembly that does not       
involve conduct described in subsection 
7a74  4  #d4 ,civil action for unlawful 
checkpoints and identity demands  7a7   

,private right of action ,any person    
aggrieved by conduct prohibited under   
section #gji;,a of title #ah1 ,united   
,states ,code1 may bring a civil action 
in an appropriate ,united ,states       
district court against-- 7#a7 any       
individual who engaged in such conduct2 
7#b7 any organization that directed1    
financed1 coordinated1 or materially    
supported such conduct2 or  7#c7 any    
governmental entity that knowingly      
permitted1 authorized1 or failed to take
 reasonable steps to prevent such       
conduct on public property under its    
control4  7b7 ,relief ,in a civil action
 under this section1 a court may award--
 7#a7 statutory damages of not less than
 #aj1jjj per violation1 without regard  
to proof of actual damages2  7#b7       
compensatory damages2  7#c7 punitive    
damages1 where appropriate2  7#d7       
injunctive or declaratory relief2 and   
7#e7 reasonable attorneys' fees and     
costs4  7c7 ,no qualified immunity      
,qualified immunity or any similar      

defense shall not be available to any   
defendant in an action brought under    
this section4  7d7 ,statute of          
limitations ,an action under this       
section may be brought not later than #e
 years after the date on which the      
violation occurred4  #e4 ,severability  
,if any provision of this ,act1 or the  
application thereof to any person or    
circumstance1 is held invalid1 the      
remainder of the ,act and the           
application of such provision to other  
persons or circumstances shall not be   
affected4  #f4 ,effective date ,this    
,act shall take effect on the date of   
its enactment4