§2000dd–2 Limitation on interrogation techniques

Summary

Stops people held or controlled by U.S. officials during an armed conflict from being questioned with any methods that are not listed in the Army Field Manual 2–22.3. Army Field Manual 2–22.3 — the Army’s human intelligence manual in effect on November 25, 2015 (or a similar later version). Any questioning methods must follow the manual’s rules exactly. If a step in the manual (like approval by a Defense official) does not fit another agency, that agency head must set up a similar approval process. The rule does not apply to the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, or other federal law enforcement. Not sooner than three years after November 25, 2015, and every three years after that, the Secretary of Defense, with input from the Attorney General, the FBI director, and the Director of National Intelligence, must review and update the manual so it meets U.S. law and does not use or threaten force. The manual must stay public, and changes must be posted 30 days before they start. Within 120 days after November 25, 2015, the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group must send a report on non-force interrogation best practices to top officials and may recommend changes; that report must be made public within 30 days of submission. Heads of U.S. departments and agencies must tell the International Committee of the Red Cross and give them prompt access to anyone detained in an armed conflict who is in U.S. custody, control, or held in U.S.-run facilities, following Defense rules. This does not give anyone new power to detain people, and it does not limit other rights or duties under U.S. or international law, including the Geneva Conventions.