# 119-hr-277: Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025

119-hr-277, Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Greene, Marjorie Taylor [R-GA-14] (R-GA); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-277
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-277
- Congress: 119
- Title: Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-09
- Sponsor: Rep. Greene, Marjorie Taylor [R-GA-14] (R-GA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## 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. - 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."

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Massie, Thomas [R-KY-4] (R-KY), 2025-01-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Cash damages for wrongful detention: benefit, high. 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: benefit, high. 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…
- No pretrial jail for protest cases: benefit, medium. 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 t…
- Choose home court for DC cases: benefit, low. 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: cost, low. 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 a…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-2395: SHORT Act
- 119-hr-5302: No Funds for Foreign Abortions Act
- 119-hr-1846: Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act
- 119-hr-1040: Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act
- 119-hr-4403: Clear Skies Act
- 119-hr-142: Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-277 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/277)

## Related
- [119-hr-2395: SHORT Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2395)
- [119-hr-5302: No Funds for Foreign Abortions Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5302)
- [119-hr-1846: Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1846)
- [119-hr-1040: Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1040)
- [119-hr-4403: Clear Skies Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4403)
- [119-hr-142: Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-142)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-277 (as of 2026-04-21).