# 119-hr-503: Qualified Immunity Act of 2025

119-hr-503, Qualified Immunity Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Foxx, Virginia [R-NC-5] (R-NC); status introduced (as of 2026-07-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-503
- As of: 2026-07-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-503
- Congress: 119
- Title: Qualified Immunity Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-16
- Sponsor: Rep. Foxx, Virginia [R-NC-5] (R-NC)
- Cosponsors: 24
- Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-19

## Summary

**Codifies qualified immunity for law enforcement in 42 U.S.C. 1983 suits.** The bill would create a statutory defense that bars individual liability when a right was not clearly established or when a prior final court decision held the specific conduct lawful. - Officers: Provides a legal shield for federal, state, tribal, and local officers with arrest powers, letting them avoid damages in individual suits if they meet the defense's tests. - Agencies and local governments: Would prevent employer liability when an officer is found not liable under the new standard and was acting within the scope of employment. - People suing under Section 1983: Raises the hurdle for plaintiffs to obtain damages by codifying the defense into the statute. - Scope and timing: Defines "law enforcement officer" and "law enforcement agency" to include federal, state, tribal, and local officials with statutory arrest powers. Changes would take effect 180 days after enactment.

## Cosponsors (24)

- Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3] (R-WI), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24] (R-NY), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9] (R-PA), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24] (R-TX), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1] (R-MN), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1] (R-MD), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] (R-NY), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] (R-NY), 2025-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, Austin [R-GA-8] (R-GA), 2025-01-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] (R-LA), 2025-02-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jack, Brian [R-GA-3] (R-GA), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22] (R-TX), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6] (R-IN), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2025-04-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2] (R-IA), 2025-05-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gonzales, Tony [R-TX-23] (R-TX), 2025-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9] (R-AZ), 2025-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4] (R-MS), 2025-05-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12] (R-IL), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41] (R-CA), 2025-07-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23] (R-CA), 2025-08-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] (R-PA), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Qualified immunity for law enforcement officers: benefit, high. If enacted, this would add a statutory qualified immunity defense for law enforcement officers sued under federal civil rights law. An officer would not be personally liable if either the right was not clearly established at the time, or a court had already issued a final merits decision saying the…

## Related bills

- 119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.
- 119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act
- 119-hr-1301: Death Tax Repeal Act
- 119-hr-703: Main Street Tax Certainty Act
- 119-hconres-12: Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.
- 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-503 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/503)

## Related
- [119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-719)
- [119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-425)
- [119-hr-1301: Death Tax Repeal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1301)
- [119-hr-703: Main Street Tax Certainty Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-703)
- [119-hconres-12: Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hconres-12)
- [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-503 (as of 2026-07-19).