No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7119 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7119
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require a policy on use
of force and deescalation by law enforcement officers, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2026
Mrs. Ramirez (for herself, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi,
Ms. Norton, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. Elfreth, Ms.
Crockett, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Goldman of New
York, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mrs. Foushee, Ms. Schakowsky,
Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Neguse, Mrs. Beatty, and Mr. Larson of
Connecticut) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require a policy on use
of force and deescalation by law enforcement officers, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Use of Force Oversight Act''.
SEC. 2. DHS POLICY ON USE OF FORCE.
(a) In General.--Subtitle H of Title VII of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``SEC. 890E. USE OF FORCE POLICY.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall implement a Department-wide
policy on the use of force by law enforcement officers and agents of
the Department to ensure such officers and agents--
``(1) use only the amount of force that is objectively
reasonable in light of the totality of the circumstances;
``(2) when feasible, prior to the application of force,
attempt to identify themselves and issue a verbal warning to
comply with such officer or agent's instructions;
``(3) seek to employ tactics and techniques that--
``(A) effectively bring an incident under control,
while promoting the safety of such officers or agents
and the public; and
``(B) minimize the risk of unintended injury or
serious property damage; and
``(4) are prohibited from using chokeholds and carotid
restraints as a means to control non-compliant persons
resisting arrest.
``(b) Requirements.--The Department-wide policy under subsection
(a) shall--
``(1) specify in a clear and consistent manner that
deescalation is preferred;
``(2) require law enforcement officers or agents of the
Department to complete initial and recurrent training in the
full range of use of force tactics and techniques, including
deescalation;
``(3) require the head of each component of the Department
with such officers or agents to--
``(A) designate an individual, having subject
matter expertise relating to the use of force,
training, and the application of use of force tactics
and techniques, including deescalation, to be
responsible for ensuring compliance with such policy;
and
``(B) maintain a use of force review council or
committee, the members of which shall have subject
matter expertise described in subparagraph (A) to
perform internal analysis of use of force incidents
to--
``(i) inform training, tactics, and
techniques, and develop recommendations for
improvements to such policy; and
``(ii) identify trends and lessons learned
to be shared within each such component and
across the Department.
``(c) Reporting.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out the
following:
``(A) Issue requirements for the head of each
component of the Department to collect and maintain
consistent data relating to the use of force within
each such component necessary to publish the reports
required under subparagraph (B).
``(B) Publish, every six months, a report on the
website of the Department that includes data relating
to each incident during the previous six-month period
in which force was used by a law enforcement officer or
agent of the Department in any of the following
circumstances:
``(i) Such use of force caused any injury
or death to--
``(I) such an officer or agent; or
``(II) a person.
``(ii) Such use of force included deadly
force against a person, including when a
firearm is discharged at a person.
``(iii) Such use of force included a less-
than-lethal device or canine that was
intentionally deployed against a person.
``(iv) Such use of force involved a
vehicle, weapon, or physical tactic or
technique that delivers a kinetic impact to a
person.
``(v) Such use of force included disabling
fire against a maritime vessel or aircraft.
``(2) Additional elements.--Each report required under
paragraph (1)(B) shall also include--
``(A) data that--
``(i) is disaggregated by Department
component; and
``(ii) describes--
``(I) specific information on the
region or jurisdiction in which each
use of force incident included in such
report occurred; and
``(II) the circumstances
surrounding each such incident; and
``(B) a specification of whether a law enforcement
officer or agent of the Department or other person was
injured or killed in each such incident.
``(3) Summaries.--In conjunction with each report required
under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall publish a summary
of any analyses under subsection (b)(3)(B) with respect to
which, during the previous six-month period, final action was
taken, including a summary of any findings resulting from any
such analyses, including any findings relating to whether the
uses of force contemplated by any such analyses complied with
Federal law and Department-wide policy under subsection (a).
``(4) Public availability.--Not later than 24 hours after
any use of force incident by a law enforcement officer or agent
of the Department that results in the hospitalization or death
of such an officer or agent or a person, the Secretary shall
brief the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and inform the public with
respect to the facts ascertained relating to such incident.
``(5) Privacy protection.--Any information published or
made available pursuant to this subsection shall be published
or made available in a manner that protects individual privacy.
``(d) Office of Inspector General.--The Inspector General of the
Department shall, on an ongoing basis, review compliance with
subsections (a) and (b).''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 890D the following new item:
``Sec. 890E. Use of force policy.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line