Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
Introduced
Summary
A national reporting system for police misconduct and settlement costs would require federal, state, and local law enforcement to report allegations, judgments, settlements, and related personnel actions to the Attorney General. It would also create a public, searchable Department of Justice database and set reporting timelines and penalties to push for consistent transparency.
Show full summary
- Communities would get officer-level details on allegations, misconduct categories, demographic context, and settlement amounts via a DOJ searchable database due within one year and updated annually.
- State and local governments that receive Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funds would begin submitting matching data 120 days after enactment and could face up to a 10 percent reduction in Byrne JAG or COPS grants for noncompliance.
- Federal agencies would begin data collection 120 days after enactment and file annual reports within 60 days after each year ends. The Attorney General would publish best-practice reports annually, the Government Accountability Office would study reporting and high-cost agencies after two years, and the Comptroller General would report after three years.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Federal police misconduct reporting
If enacted, the Attorney General would require each identified federal law enforcement agency to collect misconduct judgment and settlement data starting 120 days after enactment. Each agency would file an annual report within 60 days after the end of the year, with a possible 60-day extension if the agency is making a good-faith effort. Reports would list totals paid, payment sources, allegation types, officer and civilian demographics, years of alleged misconduct and reporting, and any injunctive relief or personnel actions. The Attorney General would identify which federal agencies are covered within 90 days and post collected federal data on the DOJ website within 120 days.
GAO study on misconduct payouts
If enacted, the Comptroller General would study federal, state, and local misconduct judgments and settlements after two full years of collected data. The study would count reporting agencies, analyze leading causes, identify top-paying agencies and state totals and averages, and assess the Attorney General's data collection and coordination. The GAO would deliver a public report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees within 120 days after the third year ends.
Public DOJ database and privacy
If enacted, the Attorney General would verify state and local reports within 30 days using open-source sources as practicable. The DOJ would create a public, searchable national database of reported misconduct judgments and settlements within one year, and update it annually. The database would exclude personally identifiable information of officers consistent with the Privacy Act. The Attorney General would publish a substantive report with best practices and analysis beginning after the third year and then annually.
State and local reporting penalties
If enacted, the Attorney General would notify each State or local government that gets Byrne JAG funds within 30 days and require them to collect comparable misconduct judgment and settlement data starting 120 days after enactment. Those jurisdictions would submit annual reports within 60 days after the year ends, with a possible 60-day extension, and must post the submitted data on their website within 30 days. Reports would disclose payment sources, insurance premiums, bond amounts and projected future bond costs (including interest and fees), and contributions to risk pools. The bill would allow up to a 10% reduction of Byrne JAG and/or COPS on the Beat funds for jurisdictions that fail to comply, with withheld amounts reallocated to compliant jurisdictions.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
VA • D
Cosponsors
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 1/30/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 1/30/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov