# 119-hr-7785: Protecting Our Communities Act

119-hr-7785, Protecting Our Communities Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3] (D-OH); status in_committee (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7785
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7785
- Congress: 119
- Title: Protecting Our Communities Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-03-04
- Sponsor: Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3] (D-OH)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Mandatory body-worn and dashboard cameras for federal immigration enforcement personnel** are required alongside visible insignia, de-escalation training, local notification, and regular reports to Congress to increase accountability and transparency. The law sets technical standards, limits on surveillance uses, and procedures for access and retention of footage. - Families and people subject to enforcement gain rights to view footage during a one-year retention period. Footage must be kept for one year and facial recognition and collection of First Amendment activity are prohibited. - Federal immigration officers must wear visible insignia and keep cameras on during operations except when immediate danger makes activation impossible, and they may not deactivate cameras until the operation ends and they leave the scene. The measure also bars face coverings that conceal identity while on duty. - Local law enforcement will be notified before federal operations in their jurisdictions. DHS must report to Congress every six months on nondeadly force, assaults on personnel, and instances when officers did not display insignia or uniforms.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Body and dash cameras for officers: benefit, medium. If enacted, DHS would have 90 days to issue a department-wide rule requiring body-worn cameras for all federal immigration enforcement personnel and dashboard cameras for enforcement vehicles. Cameras would be on by default, record video and audio during operations, and could only be delayed when a…
- De-escalation training for officers: benefit, medium. If enacted, DHS would have 180 days to develop or pick training on de-escalation and alternatives to force for federal immigration enforcement personnel. The training would include scenario-based exercises, pre- and post-training tests, and follow-up evaluations to measure whether officers apply th…
- Visible ID during DHS arrests: benefit, low. If enacted, when DHS detains or arrests someone for border or immigration reasons, the officer would visibly wear or display the official insignia or uniform and must give the detained person the name of the DHS component that employs them. Officers would not be allowed to wear face coverings that…
- Notice to local police before operations: mixed, medium. If enacted, federal immigration enforcement would be required to notify local law enforcement before operations in the local jurisdiction. The bill does not set how far in advance notice must be given or the format of that notice. This would help local police plan and coordinate responses but would…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
- 119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-3224: International Financial Institution Improvements Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-7785 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7785)

## Related
- [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644)
- [119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10421)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-3224: International Financial Institution Improvements Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3224)
- [119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3971)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7785 (as of 2026-09-21).