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
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
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
Eric Schmitt
RRepublican
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