Bill · H.R. 1240· House(119-HR-1240)
National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 2/12/2025
- Last activity
- 2/12/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Steve Cohen
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act of 2025 requires the Attorney General to create regulations for collecting data on deadly force used by Federal, State, or local law enforcement officers. These regulations must include specific details such as the demographics of those involved, the nature of the force used, and the circumstances of the incident. Law enforcement agencies will be required to use a standardized form to submit this data to the Department of Justice. The Bureau of Justice Statistics is tasked with making this collected data available to Congress and the public. To ensure compliance, the bill includes a penalty for states or local governments that fail to follow these requirements.
Yes· 3 of 10
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+7
The bill requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics to make data on deadly force incidents available to the public and Congress.
Does this change how police departments operate?+6
The bill mandates standardized data collection on the use of deadly force to increase transparency and accountability in law enforcement.
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?+5
The bill requires the collection of demographic data including race and ethnicity to increase transparency in deadly force incidents.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Transparency: The bill requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics to provide collected data to Congress and make it available to the public (Section 3). This provides the public with information regarding the use of deadly force by law enforcement.
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Detailed Data Collection: Regulations must include specific identifiers such as race or ethnicity, gender, approximate age, and religious affiliation of the person targeted (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 2, subparagraph A). This ensures a detailed record of those involved in deadly force incidents.
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Contextual Information: The data must include the alleged criminal activity, the nature of the force used, and any non-lethal efforts used before the deadly force was applied (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 2, subparagraphs C, D, and G). This provides a more complete picture of the incidents.
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Accountability for Agencies: The bill requires law enforcement agencies to provide an explanation for why deadly force was used and include the guidelines in effect at the time (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 2, subparagraphs E and F).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Financial Penalty for Non-Compliance: If a State or unit of local government fails substantially to comply with the reporting requirements, the Attorney General shall reduce its Byrne JAG grant award by 10 percent in the following fiscal year (Section 5).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For African Americans+3Good For Asian Americans+3Good For Hispanic Americans+3Good For Native Americans+3Good For People With Disabilities+3Good For White Americans+3Good For Women+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Policing Reform+6Improves Racial Equity+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+7
- 2/12/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House