Bill · S. 1322· Senate(119-S-1322)
Family Notification of Death, Injury, or Illness in Custody Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 4/8/2025
- Last activity
- 4/8/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Jon Ossoff
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill requires the Attorney General to create clear and compassionate rules for notifying family members or emergency contacts if someone dies, becomes seriously ill, or is seriously injured while in federal custody. It also directs the Justice Department to develop model policies for state, local, and tribal detention agencies to follow. Facilities must collect emergency contact information voluntarily without penalizing individuals who refuse or fail to provide it. The legislation sets strict timelines for notifying families, requiring death notifications within 12 hours and urgent updates for serious medical emergencies. Finally, the bill ensures that private contractors housing federal detainees must adopt these notification procedures as a condition of their contracts.
Yes· 3 of 4
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+6
The bill increases transparency by requiring agencies to publish written notification plans on their websites.
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?+5
The bill upholds dignity and due process by ensuring families are notified of serious medical events or deaths.
Does this change how police departments operate?+5
The bill establishes formal notification standards for families of those in police and detention custody.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Timely Death Notifications: Under Section 4(b)(2)(A), detention agencies must notify a person's emergency contact within 12 hours of a declared death, between 6:00 a.m. and midnight local time, and provide specific details about the circumstances and cause of death. This ensures families are not left in the dark during a tragedy.
- Compassionate Communication Standards: Section 4(b)(3) requires notifications to be delivered by trained staff in a professional and compassionate manner, followed immediately by a written letter of condolence. This helps minimize trauma and confusion for grieving families.
- Access to Medical Information and Visitation: Section 4(b)(2)(B) and Section 4(b)(6)(E) ensure that emergency contacts are quickly informed about serious illnesses or injuries and given a meaningful opportunity to visit the individual and communicate with medical staff.
- Protection of Individual Choice: Section 4(e) protects people in custody by prohibiting detention agencies from coercing them to share emergency contact information or punishing them if they refuse or provide inaccurate details.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No Private Right to Sue: Section 5(3) explicitly states that the bill does not create a private right of action to enforce any of its provisions. This means individuals or their families cannot take legal action in court if a facility fails to follow these notification rules.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+6Improves Due Process+5Increases Federal Power+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Policing Reform+5
- 4/8/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
John KennedyRepublican · Louisiana