Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2025
H.R. 5054, the Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2025, would amend 18 U.S.C. 1951 (the Hobbs Act) to address interference with commerce by threats or violence. The bill preserves the basic framework of the Hobbs Act—criminalizing conduct that obstructs or affects interstate commerce through robbery, extortion, or violence—but adds explicit definitions and targeted exemptions. Notably, it defines terms such as “commerce,” “extortion,” and “labor dispute,” and creates limited circumstances in which conduct related to labor disputes would not be subject to federal prosecution. In those carve-outs, state and local authorities would handle prosecutions. The bill also preserves other labor laws and clarifies that federal jurisdiction is not precluded when other laws or objective pursuits are involved. In short, the bill aims to curb violence and coercion that disrupt commerce, while limiting federal reach for certain peaceful or minor labor-related activities and affirming that other federal and state labor laws remain in effect.
Key Points
- 1Consolidates and clarifies the Hobbs Act standard for interference with commerce by threats or violence, including penalties of up to $100,000 fine and up to 20 years in prison, or both.
- 2Adds specific definitions:
- 3- Commerce: broad coverage including intrastate, interstate, and federal jurisdictional reach.
- 4- Extortion: obtaining property through force, fear, or color of official right.
- 5- Labor dispute: defined the same as in the National Labor Relations Act.
- 6- Robbery: defined with a focus on unlawful taking through force or fear.
- 7Exemptions for labor-related activity:
- 8- Incidental to peaceful picketing during a labor dispute.
- 9- Minor bodily injury, minor property damage, or threats of such minor injury/damage.
- 10- Conduct not part of a pattern of violent or coordinated activity.
- 11- Prosecution for such exempt conduct would be handled by state or local authorities.
- 12Federalism and coexisting laws:
- 13- The bill does not repeal or modify certain laws (e.g., Clayton Act provisions, Norris-LaGuardia Act, NLRA, Railway Labor Act).
- 14- Federal jurisdiction is not precluded if conduct also violates other federal or state/local law or occurs in the course of pursuing a legitimate business or labor objective.
- 15Enforcement and jurisdiction:
- 16- Federal enforcement remains available for violations outside the specified labor-dispute exemptions and for conduct that falls outside the carve-outs.