Sponsors
The bill restricts federal officers' use of deadly force and standardizes de-escalation practices to reduce unjustified killings and bystander harm, while trading off potential short-term enforcement challenges and added federal costs as some tactics and split-second options are curtailed.
Federal law enforcement officers will be limited to using deadly force only to stop imminent death or serious bodily injury, reducing unjustified killings and protecting civil rights for suspects (including immigrants, low-income people, and racial/ethnic minorities).
Federal agencies (via the Attorney General and agency heads) must standardize training and tactics for non-lethal responses, increasing opportunities to de-escalate encounters and reduce violence during federal policing.
Officers will be required to give a verbal warning when safe, creating more opportunities to de-escalate and avoid use-of-force incidents.
Federal restrictions on deadly force and limits on disabling vehicles or firing at fleeing suspects could make it harder to apprehend dangerous individuals and remove some non-lethal tactical options (e.g., warning shots), potentially increasing short-term public safety risks if alternative tactics fail.
Stricter use-of-force constraints may complicate split-second decision-making for federal officers and increase perceived or actual risk to officer safety.
Mandating new training and updating policies will require federal spending and agency resources, increasing costs borne by taxpayers and agencies.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Sets a federal limit on deadly force by federal officers to imminent-death or serious-injury situations, bans certain tactics, requires warnings, and mandates training.
Sets a national legal standard limiting when federal law enforcement officers may use deadly force: only when the officer reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another person. The measure bars using deadly force merely to stop a fleeing suspect, to disable a moving vehicle, or against someone whose threat is only to themselves or to property, requires a verbal warning when safe and practicable, restricts firing at moving vehicles, bans warning shots outside federal prisons, and directs the Attorney General (with other federal agency heads) to develop training on tactics for situations where deadly force is not permitted. It defines which personnel are covered by cross-reference to existing federal law.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by Grace Meng · Last progress February 9, 2026