HR 5054 119th Congress
Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2025
To amend section 1951 of title 18, United States Code (commonly known as the Hobbs Act), and for other purposes.
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Introduced
Introduced in the House.
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Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
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Introduced in House
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Introduced in House
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Introduced in House
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| Date and time | Record | Official detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| IntroductionIntroduced | Introduced in the House. | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. | No additional detail supplied.IntroReferral · House floor actions · Code H11100 | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionIntroduced in House | No additional detail supplied.IntroReferral · Library of Congress · Code Intro-H | Congress.gov | |
| Official actionIntroduced in House | No additional detail supplied.IntroReferral · Library of Congress · Code 1000 | Congress.gov | |
| Text versionIntroduced in House | A dated text-version record is available. | Congress.gov |
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Congressional Research Service
CRS summary
Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2025This bill broadens the scope of conduct that constitutes extortion under the federal criminal statute commonly known as the Hobbs Act. The Hobbs Act prohibits robbery or extortion affecting interstate commerce.Currently, an extortion offense includes obtaining property of another through the wrongful use of force, violence, or fear. Typically, Hobbs Act violations are investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office.In 1973, in United States v. Enmons, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the use of violence by union members during a strike did not constitute extortion under the Hobbs Act because its purpose —to achieve legitimate union objectives—was not wrongful.This bill eliminates the requirement that the use of force, violence, or fear of force or violence to obtain property must be wrongful. The bill specifies that the use of fear not involving force or violence must still be wrongful.Finally, the bill exempts from the Hobbs Act prohibition conduct that (1) is incidental to peaceful picketing during a labor dispute, (2) consists solely of minor bodily injury or property damage, and (3) is not part of a pattern of violent conduct or of coordinated violent activity. A violation involving exempted conduct is subject to prosecution by state and local authorities.
Official documents
Text versions
- Introduced in HouseAug 26, 2025