{"format":1,"id":"118-hr-140","congress":118,"number":"H.R. 140","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To amend title 5, United States Code, to prohibit Federal employees from advocating for censorship of viewpoints in their official capacity, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend title 5, United States Code, to prohibit Federal employees from advocating for censorship of viewpoints in their official capacity, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act"},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2023-01-09","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2023-03-09","vote":{"id":"118-2023-h141","question":"On Passage","title":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act","result":"Passed","yea":219,"nay":206,"present":0,"not_voting":9,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll141.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.","date":"2023-03-14"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[{"number":"H.Amdt. 103","sponsor":"Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10]","purpose":"Amendment sought to ensure that federal employees entering into collective bargaining agreements using taxpayer funded time (Section 7131) are prohibited from engaging in censorship of private entities.","result":"Failed","date":"2023-03-08","yea":207,"nay":223,"present":0,"not_voting":10,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll138.xml"},{"number":"H.Amdt. 105","sponsor":"Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18]","purpose":"Amendment sought to strike subsection (e) within the Prohibition on Federal employee censorship which states while using any information system or information technology (as defined under section 11101 of title 40).","result":"Failed","date":"2023-03-08","yea":209,"nay":221,"present":0,"not_voting":10,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll139.xml"}],"other_votes":[{"chamber":"house","date":"2023-03-08","question":"On Agreeing to the Amendment","title":"","result":"Failed","yea":207,"nay":223,"present":0,"not_voting":10,"kind":"amendment","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll138.xml"},{"chamber":"house","date":"2023-03-08","question":"On Agreeing to the Amendment","title":"","result":"Failed","yea":209,"nay":221,"present":0,"not_voting":10,"kind":"amendment","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll139.xml"},{"chamber":"house","date":"2023-03-09","question":"On Motion to Recommit","title":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act","result":"Failed","yea":204,"nay":218,"present":0,"not_voting":13,"kind":"procedural","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll140.xml"}],"crs_summary":{"date":"2023-03-09","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill generally prohibits federal employees from censoring the speech of others while acting in an official capacity."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, the bill prohibits employees of executive agencies or who are otherwise in the competitive service from (1) using their official authority to censor a private entity; or (2) engaging in censorship of a private entity while on duty, wearing a uniform, or using official government property. The bill provides certain exceptions for law enforcement, subject to specified reporting requirements."},{"k":"p","t":"Employees are subject to disciplinary action, civil penalties, or both for violations."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill defines censor or censorship to mean influencing or coercing, or directing another to influence or coerce, for the removal of lawful speech, the addition of disclaimers, or the restriction of access with respect to any interactive computer service (e.g., social media)."}],"words":139},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Adds a subchapter to title 5, United States Code, that prohibits federal employees from censoring lawful speech on interactive computer services, with law enforcement exceptions, penalties, and reporting requirements.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H03303A77D03B43509EA7A361CBDAB718"}]},"core_areas":["Prohibition on federal employee censorship of speech on interactive computer services","Law enforcement exceptions and advance reporting to Congress and the Office of Special Counsel","Disciplinary action and civil penalties enforced through the Office of Special Counsel","Attorney General compliance reports and annual employee training"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Prohibits an employee from using official authority to censor a private entity, and from engaging in censorship of a private entity while on duty, in government-occupied buildings, in uniform, in government vehicles, or using government information technology.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H03303A77D03B43509EA7A361CBDAB718"}},{"text":"Defines censorship as influencing or coercing, or directing another to influence or coerce, the removal or suppression of lawful speech, the addition of a disclaimer or alert to it, or the removal or restriction of a person's access on an interactive computer service; lawful speech means speech protected by the First Amendment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H03303A77D03B43509EA7A361CBDAB718"}},{"text":"Allows lawful actions against unlawful speech for legitimate law enforcement functions, and requires the agency head to report to the Office of Special Counsel and named congressional committees not later than 72 hours before such a censorship action, with exemptions and a 72-hours-after rule for certain categories.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H03303A77D03B43509EA7A361CBDAB718"}},{"text":"Sets penalties for violations of removal, reduction in grade, debarment from Federal employment for up to 10 years, suspension, or reprimand, or a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000, or a combination; the civil penalty limit is $50,000 for White House Office employees and Senate-confirmed presidential appointees.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H03303A77D03B43509EA7A361CBDAB718"}},{"text":"Requires the Attorney General to report to the named committees on Federal Government compliance not later than 240 days after enactment and annually until the subsection ends 10 years after enactment, and requires each agency head to provide mandatory training on the section at least annually.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H03303A77D03B43509EA7A361CBDAB718"}},{"text":"States a congressional finding that inspectors general should, at least annually for the next seven years, publicly report the number of complaints and tips received, investigations opened, and statistics on how investigations were managed and their disposition.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H73958C29ED564CB0B96535973F8787E8"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"off_subject","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H73958C29ED564CB0B96535973F8787E8"},"heading":"Congressional findings","effect":"States a congressional finding that inspectors general should publicly report, at least annually for seven years, complaint, tip and investigation counts and statistics related to compliance with this Act.","amount":null,"quote":"inspectors general should not less than annually for the next seven years publicly report the number of complaints and tips received"}]},{"category":"place_specific_amount","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh#H03303A77D03B43509EA7A361CBDAB718"},"heading":"Prohibition on Federal employee censorship","effect":"Sets the civil penalty cap for a violation at $1,000, but substitutes $50,000 for employees paid from a White House Office appropriation or appointed by the President with Senate consent. Certain censorship actions are also exempt from the 72-hour advance report.","amount":null,"quote":"Paragraph (1)(B) shall be applied by substituting “$50,000” for “$1,000” for any employee who is—"}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2023-03-09","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-02","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/140/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/118-hr-140.png","v":"74257ed37b7a","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 140, 118th Congress: Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act. House: 219 Yea, 206 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 9 Mar 2023."}}