Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Greene (GA)
Introduced
Summary
Would expand protections and legal remedies for people involved in nonviolent political protests. It focuses on pretrial release, new civil damages for wrongful detention, limits on using national security tools against U.S. citizens, and faster, more local trials for some protest-related charges.
Show full summary
- Protesters and detained people: Would bar pretrial detention for a "covered political protest offense" that is not a crime of violence and would let people sue the United States or federal officers for damages if they were detained but not convicted or had charges dropped.
- Defendants and courts: Would make speedy-trial timing apply to covered political protest offenses and let defendants charged in the District of Columbia choose trial venue in the federal district where they primarily live.
- U.S. citizens and oversight: Would ban use of a defined set of "national security authorities" against a U.S. citizen unless the person is intentionally acting as an agent of a foreign power, and would add definitions and remedies for malicious prosecution and "malicious overprosecution."
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Cash damages for wrongful detention
If enacted, you could sue the United States for money if you were detained during a federal case and then not convicted, or your charges were dropped. The suit would be against the U.S. and its officers or employees, and would seek compensatory damages. The bill does not set a dollar amount or cap.
Limits on spying and right to know
If enacted, officials could not use national security powers against a U.S. citizen unless the person is intentionally acting as an agent of a foreign power. This includes powers under the National Security Act and those used by DOJ and FBI national security units. Also, a U.S. citizen could ask if the government surveilled or investigated them, and FOIA exemptions would not block a yes-or-no answer. This applies only to requests about yourself.
No pretrial jail for protest cases
If enacted, a person charged with a covered political protest offense could not be held in jail before trial if they are not also charged with a violent crime. A covered political protest offense means charges from protest activity that are not crimes of violence. The bill also makes speedy-trial timing rules clearly apply to these protest cases. “Crime of violence” is defined in federal law (18 U.S.C. 16(a)).
Choose home court for DC cases
If enacted, a person on trial for a crime committed in Washington, DC could choose to move the case to the federal district and division where their primary home is. This could cut travel and make it easier to attend court.
Tighter rules on prosecution lawsuits
If enacted, the bill would add “malicious overprosecution” to federal tort rules and define it. It says malicious prosecution is filing charges without probable cause due to bias or personal or political reasons. Malicious overprosecution means charging an offense grossly out of proportion to the alleged conduct. If passed, some lawsuits against the United States could be harder to win.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Greene (GA)
GA • R
Cosponsors
Massie
KY • R
Sponsored 1/9/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in