This bill withholds federal grant funding from states or local governments that implement specific policies. It prohibits funding for jurisdictions with laws that substantially limit cash bail for certain serious crimes (like violent offenses or public disorder) or allow felony convicts to be released without bail. It also blocks funding for cities classified as "urbanized areas" that reduced police budgets (unless due to a general budget shortfall). The policy directly affects local governments and states that adopt these specific approaches to criminal justice or law enforcement funding. The bill modifies two existing federal grant programs to enforce these eligibility rules.
HRES 116 is a non-binding House resolution condemning pardons granted to individuals convicted of assaulting Capitol Police officers. It expresses the House's disapproval of such pardons but does not alter any laws or affect legal proceedings. The resolution has no legal force and serves only as a formal statement of disapproval by the sponsoring lawmakers. It directly addresses the pardons of specific individuals found guilty in criminal cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach.
This bill would create new federal criminal offenses for law enforcement officers and government officials who use excessive force, steal property, or obstruct investigations into misconduct. It prohibits intentionally causing bodily injury through excessive force (with penalties up to 30 years for serious cases), stealing money or property valued over $25, and destroying evidence related to misconduct (with penalties up to 20 years). The legislation defines "excessive force" as objectively unreasonable force and establishes a 7-year statute of limitations for most offenses, except for those resulting in death, which have no time limit. This directly affects government officials acting under color of law by creating new accountability mechanisms for misconduct.
This bill creates a new federal crime for assaulting first responders (like police, firefighters, and paramedics) causing serious injury or death, with enhanced penalties. It specifically applies when the assault involves interstate travel, weapons that crossed state lines, or interference with the responder's work affecting commerce. Penalties include up to 10 years in prison for serious injury, or life imprisonment if death occurs, kidnapping, or an attempt to kill happens. Federal prosecution requires Attorney General certification unless states decline jurisdiction or fail to adequately address the crime.
S 1712, the Criminal History Access Act of 2025, amends federal law to allow state "peace officer standards and training agencies" (agencies that set hiring and training standards for police officers) to access criminal history records for background checks. The bill adds these agencies to the list of entities authorized under Title 28 of U.S. Code to obtain such records. It requires the Attorney General to update federal regulations within 180 days of enactment to implement this change. This procedural amendment directly affects state law enforcement certification bodies by expanding their access to federal criminal history data.
HR 7278, the Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026, requires federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies receiving Byrne JAG program funds to collect and report detailed data on misconduct settlements and judgments. Agencies must track information like the type of allegation (e.g., use of force, racial profiling), costs paid, officer demographics, and funding sources, then submit annual reports to the Attorney General. Non-compliant states or localities face up to a 10% reduction in Byrne JAG or Cops on the Beat program funding. The Attorney General will create a public, searchable database of this aggregated data (excluding personal identifiers) and issue annual reports with recommendations for reducing misconduct. The bill mandates a GAO study after two years of data collection to analyze trends and costs across agencies.
HR 3439, the "Defund Cities that Defund the Police Act of 2025," blocks certain federal grants from going to states or cities that significantly reduce police funding without a revenue shortfall. It defines a "defunding locality" as an urban city that disbands its police department or cuts its budget substantially (without prior revenue loss), and a "defunding state" similarly for state law enforcement agencies. The bill specifically denies eligibility for Economic Development Administration grants (like public works and planning funds) and Community Development Block Grants to these jurisdictions. If a recipient becomes a "defunding jurisdiction" during a grant period, it must return all funds received for that period.
HRES 451 is a non-binding House resolution condemning police brutality globally and calling for specific U.S. policy changes. It directly affects U.S. foreign policy decisions by urging the government to halt arms exports and security assistance to countries with documented police brutality or impunity, and to end the use of militarized policing tactics domestically and internationally. The resolution also demands reallocating funds toward peacebuilding, mental health, and violence prevention programs instead of militarized policing. It emphasizes that police brutality disproportionately impacts vulnerable groups like racial minorities, migrants, and LGBTQIA+ individuals worldwide.
HRES 1030 is a non-binding House resolution (not a bill) calling for systemic reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It proposes concrete actions including ending qualified immunity for ICE agents, requiring body cameras and visible identification for officers, mandating independent investigations into use-of-force incidents, and replacing ICE with a new Department of Justice agency subject to civilian oversight. The resolution directly affects ICE operations, federal officials, and individuals in immigration custody by demanding accountability for alleged misconduct and structural changes to enforcement practices. It does not create new law but urges the House to take specific actions like opposing DHS funding and repealing $75 billion in ICE appropriations.
S 1913, the "Ending Qualified Immunity Act," amends Section 1983 of federal law (42 U.S.C. 1983) to remove qualified immunity as a defense in civil rights lawsuits. It directly affects government officials (like police or local officials) sued for violating constitutional rights and the plaintiffs who have been denied redress due to this defense. The bill's key provision explicitly states that a defendant cannot claim as a defense that they acted in good faith, reasonably believed their conduct was lawful, the right wasn't clearly established, or the law was unclear at the time of the violation. This change aims to restore the original intent of Section 1983, which allows lawsuits against officials acting under color of law without immunity defenses based on subjective good faith or unclear legal standards.
