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HR2718119th Congress

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

Sponsored By: Representative Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]

Introduced

Summary

Ensures timely, compassionate notification to a detainee’s chosen emergency contacts when someone in custody dies, is seriously injured, or becomes seriously ill. The bill would set national standards for what gets collected, when contacts must be told, and how agencies should communicate.

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  • Families and next-of-kin get faster, clearer notices. Deaths must be reported no later than 12 hours after declaration and serious illness or injury no later than 48 hours. Notices must include time and cause of death if known, investigation status, or for serious injury details about incapacitation and lifesaving measures.
  • People in custody must be offered an emergency contact at intake and may update it anytime and at least annually. They can opt out of notifications or choose to deliver notices themselves and must be told how the information will be used.
  • Local, state, Tribal, and federal detention agencies must adopt written notification plans, use standard forms, document every notification attempt, and handle belongings and remains so contacts have at least 7 days to decide on disposition. Outside facilities holding detainees under DOJ contracts would be required to follow the procedures within 7 days of taking custody.
  • The Department of Justice would publish policies and model procedures, provide online training and outreach, set the federal standard within 1 year, and establish an Ombudsman to receive and investigate complaints about notification failures.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Emergency contacts: your choice and privacy

At intake, agencies would ask for contacts to notify, the order to notify, who can receive remains, any faith leader, and any medical proxy or advance directive. You could update this anytime and at least once a year; a standard form would be used and saved in your custodial record. Agencies could not force you to provide contacts, punish you for refusing, or penalize mistakes. The info could be used only for allowed purposes; if used illegally, it would generally not be allowed in court unless found another way. Naming someone as a contact would not make them legally or financially responsible.

Faster family notice during custody crises

This bill would require agencies to notify families fast after a death, serious illness, or serious injury in custody. Death notices would be within 12 hours, between 6:00 a.m. and midnight; serious illness or injury notices would be as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours, within the same hours and before required procedures when practical and not delaying care, or by discharge. Notices would include key facts (time and cause if known; investigation status; hospital and provider contacts), with follow-up within 24 hours when the cause is later set, and all attempts would be logged. Agencies would honor medical proxies and advance directives, allow meaningful talks with medical staff, and enable visits when possible. If an autopsy is planned, next-of-kin would be told within 12 hours and later given the report; agencies would offer to return belongings and remains and give at least 7 days to decide.

Justice Department rules and complaint office

The Attorney General would have 1 year to set notification rules and training for DOJ detention agencies and to publish model policies for State, Tribal, territorial, and local agencies. DOJ would post the procedures online, include intake steps in materials for people taken into custody, and offer ongoing online training and outreach. Any DOJ agency that uses a contractor would require the contractor to adopt these rules (or similar) within 7 days of taking someone into custody. The bill would define who is “in custody” and which agencies and facilities are covered. The Attorney General would appoint an Ombudsman to take and investigate complaints about missed or poor notifications and blocked communication or visits.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1]

    AL • R

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

  • Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

  • Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

  • Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

    DC • D

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

  • Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

  • Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 4/9/2025

  • Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]

    IN • D

    Sponsored 4/17/2025

  • Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 9/10/2025

  • Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]

    NC • D

    Sponsored 12/16/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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