To amend title 18, United States Code, to include rioting in the definition of racketeering activity.
Key claim: HR4620 would amend title 18 of the United States Code to include rioting in the statutory definition of racketeering activity.
Abstract
(HR4620 · 119th Congress) Latest action (2025-07-22): Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Why this matters
Adding rioting to RICO’s predicate-offense list would substantially increase federal criminal exposure — including 20-year sentences, asset forfeiture, and treble-damages civil suits — for conduct associated with riots, and could sweep in organizers or affiliated groups under conspiracy theories. Civil liberties groups have historically warned that broad RICO application to protest-adjacent activity risks chilling First Amendment-protected assembly, while supporters argue it targets coordinated violence rather than lawful protest. The practical effect on protesters, organizers, and prosecutors depends heavily on how ‘rioting’ is defined and charged.