Federal Accountability in Interviews Reform Act

HR 5736, the Federal Accountability in Interviews Reform Act (FAIR Act), requires the Department of Justice to mandate audio recordings of all interviews with U.S. citizens suspected of federal crimes during DOJ investigations or when assisting state/local agencies. This applies to both custodial and non-custodial interviews (excluding confidential informants) and covers interviews conducted outside the U.S. as well. Unrecorded statements cannot be used as evidence in federal court, and recordings must be kept for 10 years (or indefinitely for capital offense cases). The law directly affects U.S. citizens during federal law enforcement interviews and aims to increase transparency by making recordings mandatory without requiring consent or notice to the interviewee.