LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 4197 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4197 To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit defenses based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 26, 2025 Mr. Pappas (for himself, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Casten, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mrs. Sykes, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Takano, Ms. McClellan, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Kennedy of New York, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Deluzio, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. McGarvey, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Peters, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Frost, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Correa, and Mr. Sherman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit defenses based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. 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 ``LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds that-- (1) the American Bar Association has urged the Federal Government to take legislative action to curtail the availability and effectiveness of the legal defenses that seek to partially or completely excuse crimes such as murder and assault on the grounds that the sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim is provocation enough for the violent reaction of the defendant; (2) panic defenses based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, which continue to be raised in criminal proceedings in Federal courts across the