This Act establishes a national system for tracking and publicly reporting judgments and settlements related to law enforcement misconduct across federal, state, and local agencies.
Donald Beyer
Representative
VA-8
The Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026 establishes a national system for tracking and publicly reporting all financial judgments and settlements related to law enforcement misconduct. This requirement applies to federal, state, and local agencies, mandating detailed annual data collection on allegations, officer demographics, and payment sources. The collected information will be compiled into a public, searchable database maintained by the Department of Justice. Non-compliant state and local jurisdictions face potential reductions in federal grant funding.
New Misconduct Tracking Bill Mandates Public Database for Police Settlements and Judgments
The Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2026 sets up a national system to track exactly how much taxpayer money is spent on law enforcement lawsuits and settlements. Within 120 days, federal, state, and local agencies must start logging every payout related to misconduct allegations—ranging from use of force to racial profiling. This isn't just a internal ledger; the Attorney General is required to launch a searchable public database within a year, giving you a clear look at the financial and human cost of misconduct in your own backyard without needing to file a complex public records request.
Following the Money Trail
Under Section 2, agencies have to report more than just a total dollar amount. They must disclose the demographics of the officers and civilians involved, the specific type of allegation, and whether the officer faced any internal discipline. For someone living in a city where the police budget is a major part of their property taxes, this provides a direct link between policy and the pocketbook. The bill even requires local governments to specify where the money is coming from—whether it’s a general fund, a private insurance policy, or high-interest bonds—which helps residents understand if misconduct costs are eating into funds for parks, roads, or schools.
Accountability with Teeth
To make sure local departments don't just ignore these new rules, the bill includes a financial hammer. Any state or local government that fails to report their data faces a 10-percent cut to their federal Byrne JAG or COPS grant funding. These are the primary federal funds used for equipment and hiring, so the incentive to comply is high. If a town loses that money for being non-compliant, those funds are redistributed to the agencies that actually followed the rules. To keep everyone honest, the Attorney General is tasked with cross-referencing these reports against open-source data like court records and news reports.
From Data to Better Policy
This isn't just about making a list; it’s about figuring out how to stop the bleeding. After two years of data collection, the GAO will dive into the numbers to find the root causes of these settlements and recommend ways to reduce them. For a small business owner or a local worker, this could eventually mean more efficient use of tax dollars and a more predictable legal environment. While the bill protects officer privacy by excluding personal names from the public site, it ensures that the patterns of misconduct—the 'who, what, and how much'—are finally out in the open for everyone to see.