Edward Markey (D-MA)
LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 13 Democratic cosponsors · See all 14 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2025 seeks to amend title 18 of the United States Code. This bill aims to prohibit the use of panic defenses based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Specifically, it prevents using a nonviolent sexual advance or a perception of a person's identity to excuse or mitigate criminal conduct. The Act provides an exception allowing evidence of a defendant's prior trauma under certain conditions. Additionally, it requires the Attorney General to submit an annual report regarding specific prosecutions.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +9
Would LGBTQ people be better off under this?
The bill directly protects the LGBTQ community by outlawing the use of identity-based panic defenses.
- Scored +8
Does this expand the rights of LGBTQ people?
The bill provides significant legal protections for LGBTQ individuals by prohibiting the use of panic defenses in criminal proceedings.
- Scored +5
Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?
By banning specific legal defenses, the bill ensures more consistent and equitable criminal sentencing for crimes against LGBTQ individuals.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
The bill limits certain traditional legal defenses that defendants might otherwise use to mitigate criminal responsibility.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Prohibiting the use of panic defenses: This provision ensures that no nonviolent sexual advance or perception of a person's gender or sexual orientation can be used to excuse or justify a person's conduct or reduce the severity of an offense (Section 3, subsection a).
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Increased accountability: By ending these defenses, the bill seeks to prevent the mitigation of a perpetrator's responsibility for harm done to LGBTQ individuals (Section 2, subsection 3).
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Preventing unjust outcomes: The bill aims to stop the use of defenses that appeal to irrational fears and hatred, which can result in unjustifiable acquittals or sentencing reductions (Section 2, subsection 4).
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Improved reporting on bias-motivated crimes: The Attorney General must submit an annual report to Congress detailing prosecutions involving capital and noncapital crimes committed against LGBTQ individuals motivated by their identity (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on legal defenses: Under the new rules, a defendant cannot use a nonviolent sexual advance or their perception of a victim's gender or sexual orientation to excuse their conduct or mitigate the severity of an offense (Section 3, subsection a).
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Limitations on evidence: While courts may still admit evidence of a defendant's prior trauma to excuse or mitigate an offense, this is subject to the Federal Rules of Evidence (Section 3, subsection b).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of LGBTQ people? — The bill provides significant legal protections for LGBTQ individuals by prohibiting the use of panic defenses in criminal proceedings. Does this shorten or soften prison sentences? — By banning specific legal defenses, the bill ensures more consistent and equitable criminal sentencing for crimes against LGBTQ individuals.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would LGBTQ people be better off under this? — The bill directly protects the LGBTQ community by outlawing the use of identity-based panic defenses.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill improves transparency by requiring the Attorney General to submit annual reports on specific prosecutions to Congress. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal authority by amending title 18 of the United States Code to restrict specific legal defenses. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill limits certain traditional legal defenses that defendants might otherwise use to mitigate criminal responsibility.
- 10/28/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/27/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 13 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
5 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts