Preventing Payouts for Insurrectionists Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4713
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Law
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-09: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-01T21:25:38Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends federal law to block monetary payments from the United States to certain individuals convicted of offenses tied to the January 6, 2021, Capitol events or election interference. It aims to prevent the government from compensating those individuals through lawsuits or settlements.
Key Provisions
- Adds a new exception (subsection (o)) to Section 2680 of title 28, United States Code, which lists situations where the federal government cannot be held liable for claims.
- Bars any claim brought by a person convicted (or convicted and later pardoned) of a felony or misdemeanor if the claim relates to:
- The January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol;
- Actions intended to disrupt the 2020 presidential election certification, including seditious conspiracy; or
- Interference with the 2016 presidential election, including conspiracy to defraud the United States.
- Applies the bar to claims already pending or filed on or after January 20, 2025.
- Requires any individual who received a payment, judgment, or settlement after January 20, 2025, to return the full amount to the U.S. Treasury.
- Allows state attorneys general to file civil lawsuits in federal court to recover the funds, plus an additional 25 percent of the amount as damages paid to the state.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands the list of exceptions under the Federal Tort Claims Act (a law that generally allows people to sue the federal government for certain harms) by creating a new category of barred claims based on specific convictions.
- Introduces retroactive application to claims from January 20, 2025, onward and adds a mandatory repayment rule with state enforcement authority and extra penalties.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Limits payouts from the Judgment Fund (a federal account used for court awards) and may increase administrative work for tracking and recovering funds.
- Citizens: Prevents compensation for affected individuals who meet the conviction criteria; states gain authority to pursue repayment and retain a portion of recovered amounts.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Individuals convicted of the specified offenses who might seek or have received government payments.
- The U.S. Treasury and federal agencies handling claims or the Judgment Fund.
- State attorneys general responsible for enforcement actions.
- Federal courts handling related lawsuits.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Modifies rules on sovereign immunity by adding a conviction-based bar to certain lawsuits against the government.
- Creates a retroactive repayment obligation for prior disbursements, enforced through state-initiated federal lawsuits.
- Includes an added damages provision (25 percent to states) to support law enforcement costs.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-09: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-06-09: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Preventing Payouts for Insurrectionists Act — issued 2026-06-09 — PDF (4 pages)