Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2025

The Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2025 would change a federal law known as the Hobbs Act. It makes it a crime to obstruct or affect commerce by robbery, extortion, or by committing or threatening physical violence. Penalties can be up to $100,000 in fines and up to 20 years in prison.

The bill keeps protections for peaceful labor activity. It says federal penalties do not apply when conduct is tied to otherwise peaceful picketing in a labor dispute, involves only minor injury or minor property damage, and is not part of a pattern of violence; those cases would be handled by state or local authorities. It also says it does not change other labor and related laws, like the Norris-LaGuardia Act and the National Labor Relations Act, and that federal cases can still proceed even if state laws also apply or the conduct happened during a labor dispute.

• Who is affected: workers and unions during picketing, businesses, and the public where commerce is involved.
• What changes: updates the Hobbs Act penalties and clarifies a carveout for minor, incidental conduct during peaceful picketing; keeps other labor laws in place; and confirms federal jurisdiction even if state laws also apply.