H.R. 3142: Stand Your Ground Act of 2023

118th Congress · introduced 2023-05-09 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2023-05-09 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Stand Your Ground Act of 2023

Plain summary

Stand Your Ground Act of 2023 This bill establishes affirmative defenses for individuals who use (or threaten or attempt to use) force in the commission of certain federal criminal violations. First, an individual is justified in using (or threatening or attempting to use) non-deadly force if the individual reasonably believes it is necessary to defend against an imminent use of unlawful force. An individual who uses or threatens to use non-deadly force in accordance with this affirmative defense does not have a duty to retreat before using or threatening to use such force. Second, an individual is justified in using (or threatening or attempting to use) deadly force if the individual reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony. An individual who uses, threatens, or attempts to use deadly force in accordance with this affirmative defense does not have a duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground so long as the individual is not engaged in a criminal activity and is in a place where he or she has a right to be.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Stand Your Ground Act of 2023

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Mary E. Miller (R-IL), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-118hr3142.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/118/hr>

Record fed-us-cong118-hr3142 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong118 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong118