Legis Daily

Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026

USA119th CongressS-3731| Senate 
| Updated: 1/29/2026
Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine

Democratic Senator

Virginia

Judiciary Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
This bill establishes a comprehensive system for reporting law enforcement misconduct, requiring federal, state, and local agencies to collect and report detailed information regarding judgments and settlements stemming from allegations of officer misconduct. Its core purpose is to enhance transparency and accountability by centralizing data on the financial and systemic impacts of such incidents. The Attorney General will identify all federal law enforcement agencies and make this list publicly available. Federal law enforcement agencies must annually report the total number and specific details of judgments or settlements related to misconduct allegations. This includes the race, ethnicity, sex, and age of involved officers and civilians, the type of alleged misconduct (e.g., use of force , racial profiling, sexual harassment), personnel actions taken, and the total amount and source of payment for each judgment or settlement. This data collection begins 120 days after enactment. State and local governments receiving funds through the Byrne JAG program are also required to collect and report substantially similar data to the Attorney General, and must publish this information on their respective websites. Non-compliance can lead to a reduction of up to 10 percent of their Byrne JAG or "Cops on the Beat" program funds, with reallocated funds going to compliant jurisdictions. The Attorney General will verify reported state and local data using open-source information. The bill mandates a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study after two years of data collection to analyze trends, identify causes of misconduct, and recommend improvements. The Department of Justice will also issue annual reports, including recommendations for use of force and best practices developed in consultation with law enforcement and civil rights organizations. Finally, the Attorney General must create and maintain a public, searchable database on the Department of Justice website containing all reported data, updated annually, while ensuring no personally identifiable information of officers is included.
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Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

S 117-540
Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2021

Bill from Previous Congress

S 118-2883
Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2023
Jan 29, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Jan 29, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Jan 30, 2026

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 119-7278
Introduced in House
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 117-540
    Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2021


  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 118-2883
    Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2023


  • January 29, 2026
    Introduced in Senate


  • January 29, 2026
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.


  • January 30, 2026

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 119-7278
    Introduced in House

Crime and Law Enforcement

Related Bills

  • HR 119-7278: Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026

Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026

USA119th CongressS-3731| Senate 
| Updated: 1/29/2026
This bill establishes a comprehensive system for reporting law enforcement misconduct, requiring federal, state, and local agencies to collect and report detailed information regarding judgments and settlements stemming from allegations of officer misconduct. Its core purpose is to enhance transparency and accountability by centralizing data on the financial and systemic impacts of such incidents. The Attorney General will identify all federal law enforcement agencies and make this list publicly available. Federal law enforcement agencies must annually report the total number and specific details of judgments or settlements related to misconduct allegations. This includes the race, ethnicity, sex, and age of involved officers and civilians, the type of alleged misconduct (e.g., use of force , racial profiling, sexual harassment), personnel actions taken, and the total amount and source of payment for each judgment or settlement. This data collection begins 120 days after enactment. State and local governments receiving funds through the Byrne JAG program are also required to collect and report substantially similar data to the Attorney General, and must publish this information on their respective websites. Non-compliance can lead to a reduction of up to 10 percent of their Byrne JAG or "Cops on the Beat" program funds, with reallocated funds going to compliant jurisdictions. The Attorney General will verify reported state and local data using open-source information. The bill mandates a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study after two years of data collection to analyze trends, identify causes of misconduct, and recommend improvements. The Department of Justice will also issue annual reports, including recommendations for use of force and best practices developed in consultation with law enforcement and civil rights organizations. Finally, the Attorney General must create and maintain a public, searchable database on the Department of Justice website containing all reported data, updated annually, while ensuring no personally identifiable information of officers is included.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

S 117-540
Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2021

Bill from Previous Congress

S 118-2883
Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2023
Jan 29, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Jan 29, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Jan 30, 2026

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 119-7278
Introduced in House
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 117-540
    Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2021


  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 118-2883
    Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2023


  • January 29, 2026
    Introduced in Senate


  • January 29, 2026
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.


  • January 30, 2026

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 119-7278
    Introduced in House
Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine

Democratic Senator

Virginia

Judiciary Committee

Crime and Law Enforcement

Related Bills

  • HR 119-7278: Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026
  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted