H.R. 8587 — Safeguarding Honest Speech Act of 2026

This section prohibits the use of Federal funds to implement, administer, or enforce any rule, policy, guidance, recommendation, or memoranda requiring a Federal employee or contractor to use another person’s preferred pronouns if incompatible with the person’s biological sex or a name other than the person’s legal name. This section requires Federal agencies and departments to issue a formal response within 30 days to any written notice from an employee or contractor alleging a violation. It also creates a private right of action for aggrieved employees or contractors, authorizing courts to award temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctive relief, compensatory damages, punitive damages not to exceed $100,000, and reasonable attorney fees, with actions required to be filed within one year of the alleged violation. The section defines female and male based on reproductive systems that produce, transport, and utilize eggs or sperm for fertilization, and defines sex as biological sex.