Matthew Lawrence Perna Act of 2025

This bill changes how the federal government handles cases tied to nonviolent political protests. It says people charged with a nonviolent, protest‑related offense cannot be jailed while they wait for trial, as long as they aren’t also charged with a violent crime. If someone was held in jail but is later not convicted or has charges dropped, they can sue the U.S. and the responsible federal officials for money damages. The bill also aims to speed up trials for these cases.

It creates remedies for “malicious prosecution” and “malicious overprosecution,” defining these as charging someone without probable cause due to bias, or bringing charges far harsher than the conduct deserves. It limits use of national security powers against U.S. citizens to situations where a person is intentionally acting as a foreign agent, covering authorities under the National Security Act and certain DOJ and FBI national‑security units. It lets U.S. citizens find out if the government has surveilled or investigated them by preventing FOIA exemptions from blocking that specific question. It also says judges should use the low end of the guideline range when sentencing for covered protest offenses. Finally, people charged with crimes in Washington, D.C., could move their case to the federal court where they primarily live.

• Who is affected: People accused of nonviolent protest‑related crimes; U.S. citizens who want to know if they were surveilled; people charged with crimes in Washington, D.C.; federal officials handling these cases.
• What changes: No pretrial jailing for covered nonviolent protest offenses; right to sue if detained and not convicted; faster trials; new remedies for malicious prosecution/overprosecution; tighter limits on national security powers; clearer access to know if you were surveilled; guidance to use lower‑end sentences; option to move D.C. cases to your home district’s federal court.