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Congress·In Committee·21 days ago

Senate Bill Would Make Excessive Force, Theft by Police Federal Crimes

Also known as: Under Color of Law Accountability Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

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

Key Points

  • This bill creates new federal crimes for government officials, like police officers, who use excessive force. It defines excessive force as force that is unnecessary or goes beyond what a reasonable officer would do. If an officer uses too much force and causes injury, they could face 10 years in prison, or up to 30 years if someone dies.
  • The policy makes it a federal crime for officers to steal money or property while on the job. It would be illegal for an official to take more than $25 worth of cash, property, or drugs for their own use during a search or while someone is in custody. Depending on the value of what was stolen, the officer could face 5 to 10 years in prison.
  • It protects the right of citizens to record the police. The bill makes it illegal for officers to break cameras, delete videos, or threaten people who are filming law enforcement activity in public. Officers who try to cover up a crime by destroying evidence or recordings could face up to 20 years in prison.
  • The bill requires officers to stop their coworkers from using excessive force. If an officer has the chance to stop a colleague from hurting someone but chooses to do nothing, they can be punished as if they committed the act themselves. This rule is meant to ensure that officers hold each other accountable on the scene.
Criminal JusticeCivil Rights

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 9, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Feb 9, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Related News

3 articles
The Hill·19 days ago

Rep. Steve Cohen Reintroduces Bill to Lower Bar for Prosecuting Police Misconduct

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) introduced the Under Color of Law Accountability Act, which aims to simplify the prosecution of law enforcement officers who use excessive force or engage in theft, while also codifying the right for citizens to record police in public.

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NBC News·18 days ago

New Federal Legislation Targets Police Theft and Destruction of Bystander Video

A new bill introduced in the House would make it a federal crime for officers to steal property valued at over $25 during searches and establishes strict penalties for officers who intentionally destroy or seize cameras from people filming them.

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Politico·10 days ago

Police Accountability Bill Faces Uphill Battle in Divided Congress

While proponents of the Under Color of Law Accountability Act argue it provides necessary teeth to federal civil rights statutes, critics in law enforcement unions warn the 'reasonable officer' standard change could lead to hesitation in dangerous situations.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Under Color of Law Accountability Act

Bill NumberS 3804
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

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.