Skip to content
Congress·In Committee·about 1 month ago

House Bill Would Force Police Departments to Publicly Report Misconduct Costs or Risk Losing Federal Funds

Also known as: Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
House
Senate
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill requires all federal law enforcement and many local police departments to report details about misconduct cases. This includes how much money was paid in legal settlements or court judgments and what specific type of misconduct happened, such as excessive force, racial profiling, or body camera violations.
  • Local and state police departments that receive certain federal grants would have to share this information or risk losing up to 10% of that federal funding. This is intended to create a clear national picture of how much police misconduct costs taxpayers and which departments have the most recurring issues.
  • The Department of Justice would create a public, searchable website where anyone can look up this data. While the database will show the age, race, and gender of the people involved, it will not include the names of individual police officers to protect their privacy.
  • The government would also track exactly where the money for these legal payments comes from, such as city budgets, private insurance, or special bonds. This helps the public understand if money meant for other community services is being used to pay for legal mistakes made by law enforcement.
  • After two years of collecting data, government auditors would conduct a major study to find the leading causes of police misconduct. They would then provide recommendations to police departments on how to change their culture or programs to reduce these incidents and save money.
Criminal JusticeCivil RightsEconomy Finance

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Jan 30, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Jan 30, 2026

Introduced in House

Related News

3 articles
Augusta Free Press·about 1 month ago

Kaine, Beyer file bill to increase transparency for police misconduct

Senator Tim Kaine and Rep. Don Beyer reintroduced the Cost of Police Misconduct Act in early 2026. The bill requires federal and local agencies to report settlements and judgments to the DOJ, aiming to reveal the 'staggering financial toll' of misconduct often hidden from the public.

C=
CBS News·about 1 year ago

Justice Department shuts down federal law enforcement misconduct tracker

The DOJ confirmed the decommissioning of the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD) following an executive order from President Trump. This move rescinded Biden-era transparency efforts, prompting lawmakers to introduce new legislation like the Cost of Police Misconduct Act.

CL−
Moneywise·15 days ago

Detroit Cop Suspended After Being Caught On His Own Bodycam Stealing $600 — but Here’s Who Really Pays the Price

Discussing the reintroduction of the Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026, this report examines the financial burden of police lawsuits. It notes that while officers rarely pay for their own misconduct, taxpayers in cities like Chicago and New York pay hundreds of millions in annual settlements.

C~

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 7278
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(2)
D: 2

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.