Bill shields president from civil lawsuits for entire term—and his family businesses.

What it does

This bill blocks civil lawsuits against the President, President-elect, and presidential candidates (within 90 days of election) for the duration of their term or until election certification. The freeze also applies to the President's immediate family and any business where the President or family member is a grantor or beneficiary. Statute-of-limitations clocks are paused during the freeze. The bill explicitly preserves the President's own right to sue and agencies' ability to defend the government.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a blanket stay of civil proceedings against the President and his circle. Despite the title's reference to 'bribes,' the bill does not define, prosecute, or restrict bribery—it simply pauses all civil suits. The mechanism is a procedural immunity grant, not a substantive anti-corruption measure.

What the text implies

• The stay applies to suits filed by private citizens, state attorneys general, and other entities—not just federal agencies. A citizen harmed by presidential action loses standing to sue during the entire term.
• The 'immediate family' and 'business entity' provisions create a shield around the President's financial and personal circle. A business where the President is a 'grantor or beneficiary' (a broad category) is frozen from civil liability.
• Statute-of-limitations tolling means claims do not expire during the freeze, but the practical effect is a multi-year delay in access to courts—a severe burden on plaintiffs with time-sensitive harms.
• The bill does not restrict criminal prosecution, but civil remedies (damages, injunctions, declaratory relief) are the primary tools available to private parties. Blocking civil suits leaves no practical recourse for ordinary citizens.
• The 'Rule of construction' preserving the President's right to sue creates asymmetry: the President can sue citizens and entities, but they cannot sue him—a one-way immunity.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Citizens lose access to civil courts to seek damages or injunctions against the President, his family, and his business interests for the duration of his term—a fundamental restraint on the right to sue and obtain judicial remedy. The bill creates a blanket immunity window that extends far beyond the President to family members and business entities, eliminating accountability for civil wrongs during a critical period.

Who stands to gain

• the President
• the President's immediate family
• business entities in which the President or family members hold grantor/beneficiary interests

Named in the bill

President, President-elect, presidential candidates, House of Representatives, immediate family, civil action, statute of limitations

Where it stands

4 cosponsors: 4 Democrats.

• Jun 5, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jun 5, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $2,516,717 in lobbying spend. A filing names 20 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Seth Magaziner, the sponsor, reported $526,804 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Real Estate Roundtable — $2,486,717 on 2 filings
• Real Estate Roundtable — $30,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 19, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.