National Police Misuse of Force Investigation Board Act of 2025

This bill would set up an independent national board to investigate serious police use-of-force cases: deaths in custody, officer‑involved shootings, and severe injuries in custody. It can enter scenes, review records, test weapons, and order autopsies while respecting religious beliefs; it can also hold hearings and require evidence . In some cases, a special inquiry panel with community members may be formed to look deeper into local patterns and history. The board will collect detailed data on who was involved, what happened, and why, and publish reports and safety recommendations to prevent future harm . Families get a federal point person and nonprofit support for counseling and regular briefings, and no one may block these services during the first month after an incident (with a possible short extension).

When the board makes recommendations, agencies must respond in writing within 90 days with their plan or reasons, and those responses are made public. The Justice Department must report each year on progress, and it can open a civil rights investigation and take action if there is little or no progress on needed changes . Most records are available to the public on request, with limits to protect sensitive information and fair trials; the bill also sets court rules for body‑camera and dash‑camera footage and limits using the board’s formal report in civil lawsuits for damages . States that take certain federal justice grants must update their laws so the board’s findings can be used in criminal and civil cases and must report yearly on what they did about the recommendations; states that refuse can lose part of their funding, starting the first full fiscal year after this becomes law, with those dollars shifted to states that comply.

• Who is affected: Families harmed by police and their communities; local and state police; state and local governments that receive federal justice grants; the public that wants clear information and safer practices .
• What changes: National investigations and public reports on serious use‑of‑force; required 90‑day responses to safety recommendations; family support and counseling; public access to information with protections; court rules for recordings and board reports; possible grant cuts for noncompliance .
• When: Responses due in 90 days; the board’s annual report each July 1; the Justice Department’s progress report each February 1; grant rules start the first full fiscal year after enactment (with a short extension possible) .