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HR7046119th Congress

Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]

Introduced

Summary

Abolish qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. This bill would remove the listed qualified immunity defenses in 42 U.S.C. 1983 civil actions and extend §1983 liability to federal officers acting under federal authority.

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  • People who sue for civil rights violations could bring claims against federal, state, and local officers without the four listed defenses, and that change applies to suits pending on enactment and to new suits.
  • Law enforcement officers could no longer use defenses such as that they acted in good faith, reasonably believed their conduct was lawful, that rights were not clearly established, or that the state of the law prevented them from knowing their conduct was unlawful.
  • Federal officers acting under any United States statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage would be explicitly subject to §1983 remedies, making federal actors directly reachable in these civil actions.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

Easier civil suits against officers

This bill would make it easier to sue federal, State, and local law enforcement officers for civil-rights violations. It would remove the qualified immunity defenses that say an officer acted in good faith, believed the conduct was lawful (reasonable or not), that the rights were not clearly established, or that the officer could not reasonably have known the conduct was unlawful. It would also clarify that federal officers acting under federal statutes, regulations, customs, or usages can be sued. These changes would apply to cases pending on, or filed after, the date of enactment. If enacted, officers and their employers could face more lawsuits and greater liability.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]

MA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 1/13/2026

  • Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 1/13/2026

  • Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 1/14/2026

  • Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 1/14/2026

  • Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 1/14/2026

  • Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 1/15/2026

  • Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 1/21/2026

  • Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 1/21/2026

  • Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]

    ME • D

    Sponsored 1/22/2026

  • Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 2/2/2026

  • Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 2/2/2026

  • Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 2/2/2026

  • Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 2/20/2026

  • Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 3/24/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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