Sponsor
Daniel Crenshaw
Representative · R-TX
Representative · R-TX
The bill strengthens protections and civil/criminal remedies against private impersonation, unlawful stops, and invasive vehicle surveillance—improving accountability and safety for many—but also raises litigation exposure and enforcement or compliance costs that could chill community safety activities, burden governments and organizations, and shift costs to taxpayers.
Drivers and other members of the public are better protected from private actors impersonating police, making unlawful stops, detentions, or searches on public roads.
People harmed by prohibited conduct can sue: victims gain a statutory minimum award ($10,000 per violation), access to compensatory/punitive/injunctive relief and attorneys' fees, and a five-year statute of limitations, improving remedy availability and deterrence.
Federal criminal penalties (including up to five years imprisonment and aggravated penalties when weapons or bodily injury are involved) deter impersonation of law enforcement and strengthen public safety and officer protection.
State and local governments, nonprofits, donors, and private organizations face greater litigation risk and potential statutory damages even where actual losses are minimal, which could produce large payouts and higher costs for taxpayers or constrained nonprofit activity.
Removing defenses like qualified immunity and imposing broad liability may discourage government officials from performing duties or cause defensive decision-making by public employees.
Volunteers, neighborhood-watch participants, and ordinary residents could be exposed to felony charges or uncertainty for common community-safety actions (e.g., stopping or questioning suspicious vehicles), deterring civilian reporting and cooperation with local safety efforts.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Criminalizes unauthorized private vehicle stops, ID/search demands, and license-plate surveillance and creates a private civil right with statutory damages and fee-shifting.
Official title: To protect the civil rights of individuals against unlawful vigilante checkpoints and identity demands, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 13, 2026 by Daniel Crenshaw · Last progress February 13, 2026
Makes it a federal crime for private persons or organizations, without lawful authority, to stop or detain people or vehicles on public roadways, demand identification, demand searches, or run license-plate/vehicle identification surveillance systems. The law also gives any person harmed by these actions a private civil cause of action with statutory damages (at least $10,000 per violation), compensatory and punitive damages where appropriate, injunctive relief, attorneys’ fees, and a 5-year statute of limitations. The criminal penalties can include up to 5 years in prison (with harsher penalties for violence, bodily injury, firearms, or interference with Federal officers), and the act takes effect immediately on enactment.