Bill · S. 1913· Senate(119-S-1913)
Ending Qualified Immunity Act
- Introduced
- 5/22/2025
- Last activity
- 5/22/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Edward Markey
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Ending Qualified Immunity Act" aims to amend the Revised Statutes to remove the defense of qualified immunity. This change specifically targets actions brought under section 1979 of the Revised Statutes. The bill seeks to prevent government officials from using certain defenses when violating constitutional or legal rights. Specifically, it targets defenses related to good faith or whether a right was clearly established. By doing so, the bill intends to correct what it describes as an erroneous interpretation of the statute.
Yes· 3 of 7
Does this change how police departments operate?+8
By removing qualified immunity, the bill increases accountability for law enforcement and government officials.
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?+7
The bill addresses historical context regarding the protection of Black people's rights against state officials.
Would Black Americans be better off under this?+7
The bill's findings specifically highlight the protection of Black people's rights.
The opposite
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-5
The bill reduces the ability of state and local officials to use immunity defenses.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased ability to recover damages: The bill states that the doctrine of qualified immunity has severely limited the ability of many plaintiffs to recover damages when their rights are violated by State and local officials (Section 2).
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Enhanced protection of constitutional rights: The bill notes that the current doctrine has frustrated the intent of Congress and that rights secured by the Constitution have not been appropriately protected (Section 2). Removing these defenses aims to reiterate the standard found on the face of the statute (Section 3).
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Removal of specific legal barriers for plaintiffs: Under Section 4, it shall not be a defense that a defendant acted in good faith, believed their conduct was lawful, or that the rights in question were not "clearly established." This would change how liability is determined in actions under section s 1979 (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Policing Reform+8Improves Racial Equity+7
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For African Americans+7Good For Low Income Households+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+6Improves Government Transparency+5Increases Federal Power+5Increase States Rights-5
- 5/22/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts