{"identifier":"/us/usc/t34/s12361","title":34,"num":"\u00a7\u202f12361.","heading":"Civil rights","text":"\u00a7\u202f12361.\nCivil rights\n(a)\nPurpose\nPursuant to the affirmative power of Congress to enact this part under section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, as well as under section 8 of Article I of the Constitution, it is the purpose of this part to protect the civil rights of victims of gender motivated violence and to promote public safety, health, and activities affecting interstate commerce by establishing a Federal civil rights cause of action for victims of crimes of violence motivated by gender.\n(b)\nRight to be free from crimes of violence\nAll persons within the United States shall have the right to be free from crimes of violence motivated by gender (as defined in subsection (d)).\n(c)\nCause of action\nA person (including a person who acts under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage of any State) who commits a crime of violence motivated by gender and thus deprives another of the right declared in subsection (b) shall be liable to the party injured, in an action for the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and such other relief as a court may deem appropriate.\n(d)\nDefinitions\nFor purposes of this section\u2014\n(1) the term \u201ccrime of violence motivated by gender\u201d means a crime of violence committed because of gender or on the basis of gender, and due, at least in part, to an animus based on the victim\u2019s gender; and\n(2) the term \u201ccrime of violence\u201d means\u2014\n(A) an act or series of acts that would constitute a felony against the person or that would constitute a felony against property if the conduct presents a serious risk of physical injury to another, and that would come within the meaning of State or Federal offenses described in\nsection 16 of title 18\n(B) includes an act or series of acts that would constitute a felony described in subparagraph (A) but for the relationship between the person who takes such action and the individual against whom such action is taken.\n(e)\nLimitation and procedures\n(1)\nLimitation\nNothing in this section entitles a person to a cause of action under subsection (c) for random acts of violence unrelated to gender or for acts that cannot be demonstrated, by a preponderance of the evidence, to be motivated by gender (within the meaning of subsection (d)).\n(2)\nNo prior criminal action\nNothing in this section requires a prior criminal complaint, prosecution, or conviction to establish the elements of a cause of action under subsection (c).\n(3)\nConcurrent jurisdiction\nThe Federal and State courts shall have concurrent jurisdiction over actions brought pursuant to this part.\n(4)\nSupplemental jurisdiction\nNeither\nsection 1367 of title 28","url":"https://projectusc.org/usc/t34/s12361.html","content":[{"t":"sec","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361","children":[{"t":"num","text":"\u00a7\u202f12361."},{"t":"heading","text":"Civil rights"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/a","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(a)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Purpose"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Pursuant to the affirmative power of Congress to enact this part under section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, as well as under section 8 of Article I of the Constitution, it is the purpose of this part to protect the civil rights of victims of gender motivated violence and to promote public safety, health, and activities affecting interstate commerce by establishing a Federal civil rights cause of action for victims of crimes of violence motivated by gender.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/b","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(b)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Right to be free from crimes of violence"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"All persons within the United States shall have the right to be free from crimes of violence motivated by gender (as defined in subsection (d)).","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/c","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(c)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Cause of action"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"A person (including a person who acts under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage of any State) who commits a crime of violence motivated by gender and thus deprives another of the right declared in subsection (b) shall be liable to the party injured, in an action for the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and such other relief as a court may deem appropriate.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/d","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(d)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Definitions"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"For purposes of this section\u2014"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/d/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"content","text":" the term \u201ccrime of violence motivated by gender\u201d means a crime of violence committed because of gender or on the basis of gender, and due, at least in part, to an animus based on the victim\u2019s gender; and","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/d/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"chapeau","text":" the term \u201ccrime of violence\u201d means\u2014\u202f","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"1"},{"t":"num","text":"1","tail":"\u202fSo in original. The word \u201cmeans\u201d probably should appear after \u201c(A)\u201d below."},{"t":"text","text":"\u202fSo in original. The word \u201cmeans\u201d probably should appear after \u201c(A)\u201d below."}]},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/d/2/A","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(A)"},{"t":"content","text":" an act or series of acts that would constitute a felony against the person or that would constitute a felony against property if the conduct presents a serious risk of physical injury to another, and that would come within the meaning of State or Federal offenses described in ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 16 of title 18","href":"/us/usc/t18/s16","tail":", whether or not those acts have actually resulted in criminal charges, prosecution, or conviction and whether or not those acts were committed in the special maritime, territorial, or prison jurisdiction of the United States; and"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/d/2/B","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(B)"},{"t":"content","text":" includes an act or series of acts that would constitute a felony described in subparagraph (A) but for the relationship between the person who takes such action and the individual against whom such action is taken.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/e","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(e)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Limitation and procedures"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/e/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Limitation"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Nothing in this section entitles a person to a cause of action under subsection (c) for random acts of violence unrelated to gender or for acts that cannot be demonstrated, by a preponderance of the evidence, to be motivated by gender (within the meaning of subsection (d)).","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/e/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"heading","text":"No prior criminal action"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Nothing in this section requires a prior criminal complaint, prosecution, or conviction to establish the elements of a cause of action under subsection (c).","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/e/3","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(3)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Concurrent jurisdiction"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The Federal and State courts shall have concurrent jurisdiction over actions brought pursuant to this part.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t34/s12361/e/4","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(4)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Supplemental jurisdiction"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Neither ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 1367 of title 28","href":"/us/usc/t28/s1367","tail":" nor subsection (c) of this section shall be construed, by reason of a claim arising under such subsection, to confer on the courts of the United States jurisdiction over any State law claim seeking the establishment of a divorce, alimony, equitable distribution of marital property, or child custody decree."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"text","text":"\n"},{"t":"text","text":"\n"}]}]}