The RECLAIM Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to strengthen enforcement mechanisms for federal civil rights violations, particularly addressing antisemitic conduct at educational institutions. Under current law, when an organization violates civil rights protections, federal funding can be withheld only from the specific program found in violation; this bill expands that penalty to apply to an institution's entire program or activity. Additionally, the legislation requires organizations found in noncompliance to repay all federal financial assistance received for the program during the fiscal year of the violation, regardless of whether the money was already spent. The bill also establishes that when a court issues an injunction against an institution for civil rights violations, all federal departments must suspend funding until either the institution proves compliance with the injunction or one year passes, whichever comes first, with agencies required to notify each other of such injunctions. These changes aim to create stronger consequences for institutional civil rights misconduct, though they do not specify a particular funding amount or implementation timeline beyond the one-year provision for court-ordered funding suspensions.
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