[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3824 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3824

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for certain actions 
                      by State attorneys general.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 10, 2026

  Mr. Booker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for certain actions 
                      by State attorneys general.

    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 ``State Authority to Protect Civil 
Rights''.

SEC. 2. ACTIONS BY STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL.

    (a) Conspiracy Against Rights.--Section 241 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``If two or more persons conspire'' and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(a) Prohibited Activities and Penalties.--If two or more persons 
conspire''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Actions by State Attorneys Generals.--
            ``(1) In general.--If the Attorney General of a State has 
        reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons 
        has suffered bodily injury, serious bodily injury, or death 
        resulting from conduct constituting a violation of this 
        section, such Attorney General may commence a civil action in 
        the name of such State, as parens patriae on behalf of natural 
        persons residing in such State, in any appropriate United 
        States District Court.
            ``(2) Relief.--In any action under paragraph (1), the court 
        may award appropriate relief, including temporary, preliminary, 
        or permanent injunctive relief, or compensatory or punitive 
        damages if the plaintiff shows that the conduct of the 
        defendant was malicious, oppressive, or in reckless disregard 
        of the plaintiff's rights.''.
    (b) Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law.--Section 242 of title 
18, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Whoever'' and inserting the following:
    ``(a) Prohibited Activities and Penalties.--Whoever''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Actions by State Attorneys General.--
            ``(1) In general.--If the Attorney General of a State has 
        reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons 
        is being, has been, or may be injured by conduct constituting a 
        violation of this section, such Attorney General may commence a 
        civil action in the name of such State, as parens patriae on 
        behalf of natural persons residing in such State, in any 
        appropriate United States District Court.
            ``(2) Relief.--In any action under paragraph (1), the court 
        may award appropriate relief, including temporary, preliminary, 
        or permanent injunctive relief, or compensatory or punitive 
        damages if the plaintiff shows that the conduct of the 
        defendant was malicious, oppressive, or in reckless disregard 
        of the plaintiff's rights.''.
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