Bill > S3731

This bill, titled the "Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026," mandates that Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies report detailed information about allegations of misconduct by their officers to the Attorney General. This includes data on judgments and settlements resulting from these allegations, such as the type of misconduct, the demographics of those involved, the financial cost, and the source of funds used to pay for them. The Attorney General will then make this information publicly available through a searchable database. States and local governments receiving funds from the Byrne JAG program (a grant program for criminal justice initiatives) are specifically required to collect and report this data, with potential reductions in funding for non-compliance. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Department of Justice to study this data and issue reports with recommendations for reducing misconduct and improving data collection and dissemination. The term "allegation of misconduct" is defined broadly to include unlawful, tortious, or otherwise inappropriate actions by an officer, while "judgment" refers to a final court order and "settlement" is an agreement resolving a dispute before or after a lawsuit is filed.