Sponsors (25)
The bill prioritizes saving federal settlement dollars and signaling accountability for assaults on officers from Jan 6 by blocking use of federal funds to settle those claims, but it also cuts off some paths to compensation, may shift or increase legal costs for agencies and taxpayers, and can prolong or complicate resolution of contested legal claims.
Taxpayers: Federal funds (including the Judgment Fund) will not be used to pay settlements to people convicted of assaulting officers on Jan 6, reducing government payments and saving public money.
Law enforcement: The bill reduces the possibility of federal financial relief for individuals convicted of assaulting officers, reinforcing accountability for attacks on police during the Jan 6 attack.
Federal agencies and taxpayers: Prohibiting use of federal settlement funds may shift legal and administrative costs to agencies or increase litigation against the government, raising expenses for taxpayers or agencies and increasing administrative burden.
People with claims arising from Jan 6 (including people with disabilities): Barring settlements could deny compensation for legitimate civil‑rights or medical claims tied to injuries sustained during Jan 6, leaving some injured people without redress.
Taxpayers and defendants: Preventing settlements related to prosecution claims could block resolution of contested legal claims (e.g., alleged unlawful prosecution or official misconduct), prolong litigation, and create ongoing uncertainty and potential additional costs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits use of federal funds, including the Judgment Fund, to pay legal settlements to people convicted of assaulting law enforcement in connection with Jan 6, 2021.
Introduced January 6, 2026 by Sheldon Whitehouse · Last progress January 6, 2026
Bars the use of federal money to pay legal settlements to people convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers in connection with the January 6, 2021 events at or near the U.S. Capitol. It defines covered individuals as those convicted under federal or D.C. assault statutes for actions tied to January 6 and explicitly prohibits obligations or expenditures of Federal funds — including from the Judgment Fund — for settlements that arise from alleged harm during those events or from prosecutions related to them. The measure is narrowly targeted: it prevents the U.S. government from settling claims that would pay covered individuals for injuries or claims tied to January 6 or their prosecution for those events. It does not create new criminal penalties; it restricts use of federal settlement funds for a specific class of convicted individuals.