Restoring the First Amendment and Right to Peaceful Civil Disobedience Act of 2025
This bill, titled the Restoring the First Amendment and Right to Peaceful Civil Disobedience Act of 2025, would repeal the federal prohibition known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 248. The FACE Act currently makes certain actions that obstruct, deter, or intimidate people seeking or providing reproductive health services at clinics a federal offense. By repealing § 248, the bill would remove these federal prohibitions and shift authority away from federal enforcement in this area. The repeal would apply to prosecutions that are pending on or commenced after the date of enactment, meaning ongoing or new federal prosecutions under FACE would be affected. The short title signals a emphasis on First Amendment rights and peaceful civil disobedience.
Key Points
- 1Repeal of 18 U.S.C. § 248 (FACE Act): The core change eliminates the federal prohibitions on actions intended to prevent or interfere with access to clinics that provide reproductive health services.
- 2Clerical amendment: The table of sections in Title 18 would be updated to strike the entry for § 248, reflecting its removal.
- 3Applicability to prosecutions: The repeal would apply to any federal prosecution that is pending on the enactment date or that commences on or after the enactment date.
- 4Short title: The bill designates the act as the “Restoring the First Amendment and Right to Peaceful Civil Disobedience Act of 2025.”
- 5Policy effect: By removing the FACE Act, federal penalties for blocking access to clinics or related actions would no longer apply; enforcement in this area would rely on other laws (including state or local laws) rather than federal law.