Deadly Force Independent Review Act of 2026

Federal deadly-force review and reporting

This bill would require each Federal law enforcement agency to start a written investigation whenever one of its officers uses deadly force. Agencies would make all evidence available to the appropriate State and local authorities. If an agency's inspector general did not conduct the investigation, the inspector general would conduct an independent review to check that the investigation was thorough, followed required protocols, and that findings were supported by the evidence. If the review finds wrongdoing, the inspector general would report it for discipline and refer criminal cases for prosecution. The Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency would set one governmentwide method for investigating and reporting deadly-force incidents and send quarterly reports to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, both Judiciary Committees, and the Comptroller General. Each quarterly report would list non-identifying details for each incident: race or ethnicity, gender, approximate age, actual or perceived religion, date, time, location, alleged criminal activity, the nature of deadly force used (including firearm use), the agency's explanation, the agency's deadly-force rules in effect, and any non-lethal efforts used before deadly force. Names and other identifying information of officers, targets, or other people would be withheld from public release except to comply with the bill, to give information to the person involved, or in litigation, and that identifying information would be exempt from FOIA except when given to the involved individual.