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HR 9045 116th Congress House Crime and Law Enforcement Civil actions and liability Constitution and constitutional amendments Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation Criminal procedure and sentencing Detention of persons Disability and health-based discrimination Evidence and witnesses Government liability Judicial review and appeals Racial and ethnic relations Religion Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination State and local courts

Citizen Justice Restoration Act of 2020

Introduced: December 21, 2020 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 21, 2020
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Dec 21, 2020
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Citizen Justice Restoration Act of 2020

This bill prohibits decisions to search, seize, or scrutinize an individual that discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or sex.

Specifically, the bill

  • prohibits a person acting under color of law from basing a decision to search, seize, or scrutinize an individual on actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, and makes evidence obtained as a result of such a search or seizure inadmissible, with exceptions;
  • requires an application for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a state court to be granted with respect to any federal claim that was adjudicated on the merits in state court proceedings, which adjudication was in error;
  • makes a new rule of constitutional law announced by the U.S. Supreme Court, a U.S. Court of Appeals, or a U.S. District Court retroactive to cases on collateral review; and
  • requires an ambiguity in a statute that provides protection against discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, or sex to be construed in the manner that will provide the greatest protection against such discrimination.

The bill further creates a private right of action and provides for the award of a bounty for citizen lawsuits under specified circumstances.

What's happening now December 21, 2020

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1
D
Jeffries, Hakeem S.
New York · Dec 21, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 9045: Citizen Justice Restoration Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-9045/
MLA
"H.R. 9045: Citizen Justice Restoration Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-9045/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 9045, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-9045/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 9045: Citizen Justice Restoration Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-9045/)
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