# Support Peaceful Protest Act - Plain Language Summary

This bill would make people who are convicted of federal crimes committed during protests pay the government back for the cost of federal police officers who were deployed to manage that protest. If someone is found guilty of a federal offense—like crossing a police line, damaging federal property, or assaulting a federal officer—during a protest, a judge would be required to order them to reimburse the federal government for all the policing expenses related to that event. This could include officer salaries, equipment, transportation, and other costs associated with the federal law enforcement response. The amount would be determined by the court on a case-by-case basis.

The bill also includes a second provision that would make people convicted of federal protest-related offenses ineligible for enhanced federal unemployment benefits that were provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means if someone received extra unemployment money during the emergency and was later convicted of a federal crime at a protest, they could potentially lose access to those benefits or face other consequences.

The practical effect of this bill would be that people convicted of federal crimes during protests could face significant financial penalties on top of any prison time or fines imposed for their actual offense. These restitution payments could be substantial, depending on how many officers were involved and for how long. This creates an additional financial burden for convicted individuals beyond their criminal sentence, which could affect their ability to pay other debts or support themselves after release from prison.

Support Peaceful Protest Act

Banks, Jim

Support Peaceful Protest Act This bill imposes additional penalties upon an individual who is convicted of a federal offense related to conduct during the course of a protest (e.g., rioting). First, in addition to the penalty for the conviction, the individual must pay restitution to cover the cost of federal policing during the protest. Second, the individual is ineligible for pandemic unemployment assistance.