Bill > S3625

This bill, titled the "Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026," aims to remove the defense of qualified immunity for federal, state, and local law enforcement officers when they are sued under section 1979 of the Revised Statutes, commonly known as 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Qualified immunity is a legal protection that shields government officials from liability in civil lawsuits unless their conduct violates clearly established statutory or constitutional rights, and there is no reasonable dispute that the conduct was unlawful. This bill proposes to amend section 1979 by adding a new subsection (b) that explicitly states it will not be a defense for an officer if they were acting in good faith, believed their conduct was lawful, or if the rights violated were not clearly established, or if they couldn't have reasonably known their conduct was unlawful. Additionally, the bill amends subsection (a) of section 1979 to ensure it applies to federal law enforcement officers acting under federal authority, in addition to state and local officers.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3625/all-info