The Freedom From Union Violence Act rewrites the federal Hobbs Act — a 1946 law that makes it a federal crime to obstruct commerce through robbery or extortion — to explicitly address conduct during labor disputes. The rewrite keeps federal jurisdiction over violence and extortion but adds a narrow exemption: minor bodily injury, minor property damage, or threats of such minor harm that occur during otherwise peaceful picketing and are not part of a pattern of violent conduct would be routed to state and local prosecution rather than federal charges. The maximum fine under the law increases from the current amount to $100,000; the maximum prison term remains 20 years. Existing labor law protections under the NLRA, Norris-LaGuardia Act, Clayton Act, and Railway Labor Act are expressly preserved.
Criminal Justice & Due Process
- Federal Hobbs Act jurisdiction over minor picket-line conduct — routes minor injury/damage during peaceful picketing to state prosecution only
- Fine ceiling under the Hobbs Act — raises maximum fine to $100,000 for robbery and extortion affecting commerce
Congressional 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.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-08-26
- Date Added
- 2026-06-04
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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