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Safeguarding Honest Speech Act
To prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce measures requiring certain employees to refer to an individual by the preferred pronouns of such individual or a name other than the legal name of such individual, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to implement or enforce policies requiring federal employees or contractors to use an individual's preferred pronouns if they conflict with the person's sex, or to use a name other than a person's legal name. The bill requires federal agencies to respond formally within 30 days to complaints about alleged violations. It establishes a private right of action allowing employees or contractors to sue their agency if they believe there has been a violation, with potential remedies including injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and punitive damages up to $100,000, as well as attorney fees. The bill defines sex based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX)
1 cosponsor
- Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Ted Cruz’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $4,424,745
- ENTREPRENEUR $458,096
- RDV CORPORATION $39,600
- AMERICAN AIRLINES $29,632
- BLACKSTONE $27,400
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Ted Cruz → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Mar 4, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. · senate
- Mar 4, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 4, 2025
Mr. Cruz (for himself and Mr. Budd) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce measures requiring certain employees to refer to an individual by the preferred pronouns of such individual or a name other than the legal name of such individual, 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 “Safeguarding Honest Speech Act”.
SEC. 2. NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR COMPELLED LANGUAGE.
(a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funds may be used for the purpose of implementing, administering, or enforcing any rule, policy, guidance, recommendation, or memorandum requiring an employee or contractor of any Federal agency or Department to use—
(1) another person’s preferred pronouns if they are incompatible with such person’s sex; or
(2) a name other than a person’s legal name when referring to such person.
(b) Enforcement.—
(1) In general.—All Federal agencies and Departments shall ensure that, not later than 30 days following a written notice from any employee or contractor described in subsection (a) regarding an alleged violation of subsection (a), a formal response to the notice is issued to the employee or contractor.
(2) Private right of action.—In the case that the formal response issued under paragraph (1) does not represent a satisfactory outcome for the employee or contractor, any employee or contractor described in subsection (a) and aggrieved by a violation of subsection (a) may commence a civil action against the Federal agency or Department responsible for the alleged violation.
(3) Relief.—In any action under this subsection, the court may award appropriate relief, including—
(A) temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctive relief;
(B) compensatory damages;
(C) punitive or exemplary damages, which may not exceed $100,000; and
(D) reasonable fees for attorneys.
(4) Statute of limitations.—An action under this subsection shall be brought not later than 1 year after the date on which the alleged violation of subsection (a) occurred.
(c) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Person.—The term “person” means an individual.
(2) Sex.—The term “sex” means sex recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth. <all>
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