Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Ted Budd (R-NC) introduce the Justice for Victims of Lawless Cities Act of 2020

WASHINGTON--Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Ted Budd (R-NC) introduce the Justice for Victims of Lawless Cities Act of 2020:

The Justice for Victims of Lawless Cities Act of 2020 will allow any individual who is the victim of murder, rape, or any felony in a so-called "autonomous zone" to sue the state or jurisdiction for compensatory damages. If the individual is deceased or permanently incapacitated, the spouse, parent, or child of the individual may sue. The legislation also allows business owners to sue the state or jurisdiction for damages to their business within a lawless autonomous zone.

"The United States is a nation of laws. The first order of government is to secure the blessings of liberty. Any state or city that takes federal funds and fails to enforce the laws should both lose those funds and be liable for the harm they have allowed to occur, including those allowing lawless "autonomous zones" to be created. Today, Congressman Budd and I have introduced legislation to do just that, and help make sure the streets of America can be safe again."- Rep. Chip Roy

"Lawless autonomous zones have no place in America. Any city or state that tolerates one should be legally on the hook for any tragedies that happen. This bill would be a strong incentive to local jurisdictions to break up any remaining lawless zones or prevent one from being established in the first place." - Rep. Ted Budd

Read the full text of the bill here.