[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3318 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3318

   To prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce 
 measures requiring certain employees to refer to an individual by the 
 preferred pronouns of such individual or a name other than the legal 
            name of such individual, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 15, 2023

   Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce 
 measures requiring certain employees to refer to an individual by the 
 preferred pronouns of such individual or a name other than the legal 
            name of such individual, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safeguarding Honest Speech Act''.

SEC. 2. NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR COMPELLED LANGUAGE.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no 
Federal funds may be used for the purpose of implementing, 
administering, or enforcing any rule, policy, guidance, recommendation, 
or memorandum requiring an employee or contractor of any Federal agency 
or Department to use--
            (1) another person's preferred pronouns if they are 
        incompatible with such person's sex; or
            (2) a name other than a person's legal name when referring 
        to such person.
    (b) Enforcement.--
            (1) In general.--All Federal agencies and Departments shall 
        ensure that, not later than 30 days following a written notice 
        from any employee or contractor described in subsection (a) 
        regarding an alleged violation of subsection (a), a formal 
        response to the notice is issued to the employee or contractor.
            (2) Private right of action.--In the case that the formal 
        response issued under paragraph (1) does not represent a 
        satisfactory outcome for the employee or contractor, any 
        employee or contractor described in subsection (a) and 
        aggrieved by a violation of subsection (a) may commence a civil 
        action against the Federal agency or Department responsible for 
        the alleged violation.
            (3) Relief.--In any action under this subsection, the court 
        may award appropriate relief, including--
                    (A) temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctive 
                relief;
                    (B) compensatory damages;
                    (C) punitive or exemplary damages, which may not 
                exceed $100,000; and
                    (D) reasonable fees for attorneys.
            (4) Statute of limitations.--An action under this 
        subsection shall be brought not later than 1 year after the 
        date on which the alleged violation of subsection (a) occurred.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Person.--The term ``person'' means an individual.
            (2) Sex.--The term ``sex'' means sex recognized based 
        solely on a person's reproductive biology and genetics at 
        birth.
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