Senate Bill Would Force Police Departments to Publicly Report Misconduct Settlement Costs or Risk Losing Federal Grants
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This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Federal law enforcement officers would be subject to new reporting requirements when misconduct allegations lead to judgments or settlements. Agencies must collect detailed data on each incident — including the officer's demographics, type of allegation, personnel actions taken, and total costs. While this doesn't directly change officers' pay or benefits, it creates a new layer of accountability and documentation around their conduct on the job.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The DOJ decommissioned the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database in early 2025 following an executive order. This move left a transparency gap that the 2026 Cost of Police Misconduct Act seeks to fill by codifying reporting requirements into federal law.
Chicago's 2026 budget highlights the massive financial burden of police misconduct, with the city already exceeding its $82.5M set-aside. Such local costs are the primary focus of the new federal bill requiring standardized reporting of these taxpayer-funded settlements.
As Cleveland seeks to end its federal consent decree, the debate over long-term accountability continues. The Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026 would provide a permanent mechanism for tracking misconduct costs even after specific federal oversight programs conclude.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026
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