HR 2065

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 11, 2025

Mr. McDowell (for himself, Mr. Gill of Texas, Mr. Jack, Mr. Goldman of Texas, Mr. Moore of West Virginia, Mrs. Harshbarger, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, and Mr. Knott) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalty enhancements for committing certain offenses while in disguise, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Unmasking Hamas Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Universities and colleges across America, including Columbia University, California State Polytechnic University, the University of New Mexico, and Barnard College, have been increasingly targeted by violent student protests in the name of Hamas.

(2) Violent student protests at universities and colleges across the country have caused significant damage to campus property and have barred university and college students from accessing educational services.

(3) Violent protestors continue to utilize masks as a disguise to cover their identity in order to evade the law.

(4) Support for designated terrorist organizations, antisemitism, and calling for the genocide of Jewish people have no place on our university and college campuses.

(5) Iran and Hamas-backed organizations partner with United States-based anti-Israel organizations to fund anti-Israel demonstrations and protests.

(6) During Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress in 2024, Hamas- sympathetic masked protestors vandalized Federal property in Washington, DC, across from Union Station.

(7) Pro-Hamas advocates have anonymously vandalized multiple memorials and commemorative statues across Washington, DC, including the Lincoln Memorial and the General Lafayette Statue outside of the White House.

(8) Anonymous bomb threats to synagogues dramatically increased in the months following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

(9) Police officers disbanding unlawful assemblies have been subjected to violent confrontations by masked protestors.

(10) Masked protests have repeatedly led to the desecration of public property.

SEC. 3. INTERFERENCE WITH PROTECTED RIGHTS WHILE IN DISGUISE.

(a) In General.—Chapter 13 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 250 the following: “Sec. 251. Interference with protected rights while in disguise

“(a) In General.—Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, while in disguise, including while wearing a mask, injures, oppresses, threatens, or intimidates any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both.

“(b) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to deter any law enforcement officer from lawfully carrying out the duties of his office; and no law enforcement officer shall be considered to be in violation of this section for lawfully carrying out the duties of his office or lawfully enforcing ordinances and laws of the United States, the District of Columbia, any of the several States, or any political subdivision of a State. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the term ‘law enforcement officer’ means any officer of the United States, the District of Columbia, a State, or political subdivision of a State, who is empowered by law to conduct investigations of, or make arrests because of, offenses against the United States, the District of Columbia, a State, or a political subdivision of a State.”.

(b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of sections for chapter 13 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item related to section 250 the following:

“251. Interference with protected rights while in disguise.”.

SEC. 4. DESTROYING BUILDINGS OR PROPERTY WITHIN SPECIAL MARITIME AND TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION WHILE IN DISGUISE.

Section 1363 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “Whoever, during the commission of an offense under this section, wears a disguise, including a mask, shall, in addition to any term of imprisonment otherwise imposed under this section, be imprisoned for 2 years.”. <all>