# 119-hr-7290: Qualified Immunity Accountability Act

119-hr-7290, Qualified Immunity Accountability Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32] (D-TX); status introduced (as of 2026-04-23).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7290
- As of: 2026-04-23
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7290
- Congress: 119
- Title: Qualified Immunity Accountability Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-01-30
- Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32] (D-TX)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: unknown
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-23

## Summary

**Limits qualified immunity for law enforcement** and tightens criminal standards for rights violations. This bill would lower the criminal intent threshold for federal deprivation-of-rights charges and remove common immunity defenses in civil suits. - People alleging misconduct: Plaintiffs in civil suits under 42 U.S.C. §1983 would no longer be blocked by a defendant's claim that they acted in good faith or that the right was not "clearly established." This makes it easier to seek damages for constitutional harms. - Law enforcement officers: Local officers and federal investigative or law enforcement officers would lose two specific defenses in civil actions. Local officers are defined by reference to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025 and federal officers by 28 U.S.C. §2680(h). - Criminal prosecutions: The bill changes 18 U.S.C. §242 by replacing the mens rea "willfully" with "knowingly or recklessly." It also removes the clause referencing the death penalty and says an act counts as causing death if it was a substantial factor.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier federal charges for rights violations: mixed, low. If enacted, this bill would change the federal crime for depriving someone of rights under color of law. It would replace the mental-state word "willfully" with "knowingly or recklessly." It would define that an act "resulted in death" if it was a substantial factor in the person's death. It would…
- Limits police qualified immunity defenses: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would bar certain defenses in civil-rights lawsuits against covered officers. Local officers and some federal investigative officers could not use "good faith" or "I thought it was lawful" as a defense. They also could not use the defense that the right was not "clearly establi…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act
- 119-hr-2913: Ukraine Support Act
- 119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-hr-7290 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7290)

## Related
- [119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6900)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3069)
- [119-hr-2913: Ukraine Support Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2913)
- [119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7853)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7290 (as of 2026-04-23).