House BillHR 4087Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Define to Defeat Act of 2025
INTRO JUN 23· LAST ACTION JUN 23
READING
5MIN
COSPONSORS
1
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
This bill matters because it seeks to create a single, consistent understanding of antisemitism across the entire federal government, from employee training to legal enforcement. Supporters believe this will make it easier to identify and combat anti-Jewish hate, especially in its modern forms, by removing ambiguity that can arise from different interpretations.
If this bill becomes law, there will be a unified standard for how antisemitism is recognized in civil rights contexts, potentially leading to more consistent investigations and rulings in cases involving discrimination against Jewish people. If it doesn't pass, federal entities might continue to use varying definitions, which supporters argue could hinder effective enforcement and create confusion in the fight against antisemitism.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extracted
PROVISION 01
Establishes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as the official definition for enforcing federal civil rights laws.
Provides a uniform standard for identifying antisemitism across all federal government actions and courts.
PROVISION 02
Requires federal departments and agencies to include the IHRA definition of antisemitism in all anti-discrimination training and education materials.
Ensures federal employees are uniformly educated on how to recognize and address antisemitism.
PROVISION 03
Mandates that federal courts include the IHRA definition of antisemitism in jury instructions for any federal criminal or civil action involving antisemitism.
Ensures juries have a consistent legal framework when deciding cases related to antisemitism.
PROVISION 04
Directs federal departments and agencies to consider whether antisemitism, as defined by IHRA, motivated a potential civil rights violation based on Jewish identity.
Guides federal investigations and reviews of discrimination complaints to specifically look for antisemitic motivations.
PROVISION 05
Clarifies that the bill does not expand agency enforcement authority, alter existing violation standards, diminish other protected rights, or infringe upon First Amendment rights.
Addresses concerns about potential overreach or unintended consequences, aiming to protect constitutional freedoms while implementing the definition.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill matters because it seeks to create a single, consistent understanding of antisemitism across the entire federal government, from employee training to legal enforcement. Supporters believe this will make it easier to identify and combat anti-Jewish hate, especially in its modern forms, by removing ambiguity that can arise from different interpretations.
If this bill becomes law, there will be a unified standard for how antisemitism is recognized in civil rights contexts, potentially leading to more consistent investigations and rulings in cases involving discrimination against Jewish people. If it doesn't pass, federal entities might continue to use varying definitions, which supporters argue could hinder effective enforcement and create confusion in the fight against antisemitism.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Establishes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as the official definition for enforcing federal civil rights laws.
Provides a uniform standard for identifying antisemitism across all federal government actions and courts.
med
Requires federal departments and agencies to include the IHRA definition of antisemitism in all anti-discrimination training and education materials.
Ensures federal employees are uniformly educated on how to recognize and address antisemitism.
high
Mandates that federal courts include the IHRA definition of antisemitism in jury instructions for any federal criminal or civil action involving antisemitism.
Ensures juries have a consistent legal framework when deciding cases related to antisemitism.
med
Directs federal departments and agencies to consider whether antisemitism, as defined by IHRA, motivated a potential civil rights violation based on Jewish identity.
Guides federal investigations and reviews of discrimination complaints to specifically look for antisemitic motivations.
med
Clarifies that the bill does not expand agency enforcement authority, alter existing violation standards, diminish other protected rights, or infringe upon First Amendment rights.
Addresses concerns about potential overreach or unintended consequences, aiming to protect constitutional freedoms while implementing the definition.
GLOSSARY
AI-written
Antisemitism
Hostility toward or discrimination against Jews. In this bill, it specifically refers to the definition provided by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which includes certain examples.
Civil Rights Laws
Federal laws designed to protect individuals from discrimination based on characteristics like race, religion, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)
An intergovernmental organization that promotes Holocaust education, remembrance, and research, which developed a widely referenced working definition of antisemitism.
Jury Instructions
Directions given by a judge to a jury about the laws that apply to the facts of a case, which the jury must follow when reaching a verdict.
Covered Civil Rights Law
Specific federal laws listed in the bill, such as parts of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the Voting Rights Act of 1965, where this new definition of antisemitism would apply.
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTS
JUN 23, 25
Introduced in House
INTROREFERRAL
JUN 23, 25
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.