To codify the Bill of Rights.

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2260 To codify the Bill of Rights. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 26, 2021 Mr. STIVERS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To codify the Bill of Rights. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. CODIFICATION OF BILL OF RIGHTS. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title 1, United States Code, is 4 amended by adding at the end the following new chapter: 5 ‘‘CHAPTER 4—BILL OF RIGHTS 6 ‘‘401. Free exercise of religion; freedom of speech and assembly; right to peti- tion Government. ‘‘402. Well regulated militia. ‘‘403. Quartering of soldiers. ‘‘404. Unreasonable searches and seizures. ‘‘405. Due process of law. ‘‘406. Rights in criminal prosecutions. ‘‘407. Trial by jury. ‘‘408. Excessive bail and fines; cruel and unusual punishment. ‘‘409. Non-enumerated rights. ‘‘410. Rights reserved to States or people. VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:44 May 25, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\H2260.IH H2260 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2260 IH ‘‘§ 401. Free exercise of religion; freedom of speech 1 and assembly; right to petition Govern- 2 ment 3 ‘‘No law shall be enacted in the United States re- 4 specting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the 5 free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, 6 or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to 7 assemble and to petition the government for a redress of 8 their grievances. 9 ‘‘§ 402. Well regulated militia 10 ‘‘A well regulated militia, being necessary to the secu- 11 rity of a free state, the right of people to keep and bear 12 arms, shall not be infringed. 13 ‘‘§ 403. Quartering of soldiers 14 ‘‘No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in 15 any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time 16 of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. 17 ‘‘§ 404. Unreasonable searches and seizures 18 ‘‘The right of the people to be secure in their persons, 19 houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches 20 and seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrants shall 21 issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affir- 22 mation, and particularly describing the place to be 23 searched, and the person or things to be seized. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:44 May 25, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2260.IH H2260 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2260 IH ‘‘§ 405. Due process of law 1 ‘‘No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or 2 otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or in- 3 dictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the 4 land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual serv- 5 ice in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person 6 be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy 7 of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case 8 to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, 9 liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall 10 private property be taken for public use, without just com- 11 pensation. 12 ‘‘§ 406. Rights in criminal prosecutions 13 ‘‘In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy 14 the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury 15 of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been 16 committed, which district shall have been previously 17 ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and 18 cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the wit- 19 nesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtain- 20 ing witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of 21 counsel for his defense. 22 ‘‘§ 407. Trial by jury 23 ‘‘In suits at common law, where the value in con- 24 troversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by 25 jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:44 May 25, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2260.IH H2260 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2260 IH be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, 1 than according to the rules of the common law. 2 ‘‘§ 408. Excessive bail and fines; cruel and unusual 3 punishment 4 ‘‘Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive 5 fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments in- 6 flicted. 7 ‘‘§ 409. Non-enumerated rights 8 ‘‘The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain 9 rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others 10 retained by the people. 11 ‘‘§ 410. Rights reserved to States or people 12 ‘‘The powers not delegated to the United States by 13 the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are 14 reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.’’. 15 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 16 at the beginning of such title is amended by adding at 17 the end the following: 18 ‘‘4. Bill of Rights ................................................................................ 401’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:44 May 25, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2260.IH H2260 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS