HR 4197 United States House · 119th Congress

LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2025

This bill prohibits defendants in federal criminal cases from using a victim's LGBTQ identity (sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression) as a defense to excuse or reduce punishment for violent crimes. It amends federal law to ban arguments that claim a "nonviolent sexual advance" or inaccurate perception of someone's LGBTQ status justified the defendant's actions. The law allows limited admission of past trauma evidence under standard federal rules but requires the Attorney General to annually report on federal prosecutions involving bias-motivated violence against LGBTQ individuals. This directly affects defendants in federal court cases where such defenses were previously used, aiming to end the practice of treating LGBTQ victims' identities as justification for violence.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jun 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Jun 26, 2025 Last action Jun 26, 2025
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Jun 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
lower
Jun 26, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 58 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Chris Pappas
Chris Pappas
DDemocratic
NH
1
Co
Photo of Adelita S. Grijalva
Adelita S. Grijalva
DDemocratic
AZ
7
Co
Photo of Al Green
Al Green
DDemocratic
TX
9
Co
Photo of Andrea Salinas
Andrea Salinas
DDemocratic
OR
6
Co
Photo of April McClain Delaney
April McClain Delaney
DDemocratic
MD
6
Co
Photo of Ayanna Pressley
Ayanna Pressley
DDemocratic
MA
7
Co
Photo of Becca Balint
Becca Balint
DDemocratic
VT
At-Large
Co
Photo of Brad Sherman
Brad Sherman
DDemocratic
CA
32
Co
Photo of Christopher R. Deluzio
Christopher R. Deluzio
DDemocratic
PA
17
Co
Photo of Danny K. Davis
Danny K. Davis
DDemocratic
IL
7
Co
Photo of Delia C. Ramirez
Delia C. Ramirez
DDemocratic
IL
3