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119-s-1322119th Congress

Family Notification of Death, Injury, or Illness in Custody Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]

Introduced

Summary

Family notification for deaths, serious illness, and serious injury in custody. This bill would require the Department of Justice to create federal policies and model procedures so detention agencies notify next of kin and emergency contacts when someone in custody dies, is seriously ill, or is seriously injured.

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  • Families and emergency contacts would get timely, detailed notices. For deaths, agencies must notify within 12 hours and between 6:00 a.m. and midnight local time and include the official time of death, cause, and whether the death is under investigation.
  • People in custody would be able to record emergency contact information and medical directives in their custodial record and name a faith leader for notifications. Agencies may not coerce contact information or fine people for providing inaccurate details and must document each notification attempt.
  • State, local, tribal, and federal detention agencies would be given DOJ model policies to adopt or substantially replicate, required to keep an emergency-contact form in the custodial record, and to publish a written notification plan and make it available at intake.
  • The Attorney General would be required to implement the policies within one year, publish the procedures, provide ongoing online training and outreach, and appoint a DOJ official to monitor compliance and investigate complaints.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Faster family notice after injury or death

If enacted, detention agencies would need to notify an emergency contact quickly after a serious illness or injury and provide key details. For a death in custody, the agency would have to notify the contact within 12 hours of the declared time of death and only between 6:00 a.m. and midnight local time. Notices would have to say the official time and cause of death and whether the death is under investigation and why. Agencies would also be required to document notification attempts in the custodial record and follow compassionate, trained-notifier practices, plus offer visits and communication with medical staff and procedures for returning belongings or remains.

Justice Department to set notification rules

If enacted, the Attorney General would have one year to make and publish standard notification procedures for DOJ detention agencies and share model policies with states, tribes, territories, and local agencies. DOJ would have to include the rules in intake materials, post them online, offer ongoing training and outreach, and name a person to receive and investigate complaints about missed notifications. Any DOJ detention agency that uses outside contractors to hold people would have to put the notification rules (or very similar rules) into those contracts within one year.

No legal duties or private lawsuits

If enacted, the bill would say that being listed as a next of kin or emergency contact does not create legal or financial duties. It would also say a person in custody would not be required to provide emergency contact information. The bill would not create a private right to sue to enforce its rules. These limits would take effect on enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]

GA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]

    LA • R

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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