S 2616 United States Senate · 118th Congress

Censorship Accountability Act

This bill creates a private right of action allowing individuals to sue federal employees who violate their First Amendment rights while acting under government authority. It directly affects citizens whose free speech or other First Amendment rights are infringed by federal employees, such as those blocking communications or censoring content in their official capacity. Key provisions include enabling lawsuits for redress, allowing courts to award attorney fees to successful plaintiffs, and explicitly excluding lawsuits against the federal agency or government itself. The bill does not alter what constitutes a First Amendment violation but provides a new legal remedy for affected individuals. It applies to all executive branch employees (excluding the President and Vice President) acting within their official duties.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jul 2023
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Jul 27, 2023 Last action Jul 27, 2023
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Full legislative history

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Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Jul 27, 2023
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
upper
Jul 27, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Eric Schmitt
Eric Schmitt
RRepublican
MO
n/a