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H.R. 7119: DHS Use of Force Oversight Act

This bill, titled the DHS Use of Force Oversight Act, proposes changes to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding how law enforcement officers should use force. Here are the key components of the bill:

Policy Implementation

The act requires the Secretary of DHS to establish a department-wide policy for the use of force by its law enforcement officers and agents. The main goals of the policy include:

Ensuring that officers use only the amount of force that is considered objectively reasonable based on the circumstances.
Encouraging officers to identify themselves and issue a verbal warning when feasible before using force.
Promoting tactics that manage incidents safely for both officers and the public, while seeking to minimize unintended injuries or property damage.
Prohibiting the use of chokeholds or carotid restraints to control individuals who are non-compliant but not posing an immediate threat.

Training Requirements

The policy mandates that:

De-escalation tactics be clearly stated as a preferred approach.
All law enforcement officers receive initial and ongoing training in use of force tactics, including de-escalation strategies.
Each component of DHS designates an expert to ensure compliance with this policy and manages a review council to analyze use of force incidents.

Reporting and Transparency

The act establishes requirements for reporting use of force incidents. The Secretary of DHS must:

Collect and maintain consistent data related to use of force across all components.
Publish a report every six months detailing each incident where force was used, including:

Incidents causing injury or death to officers or the public.
Use of deadly force or any use of force involving less-than-lethal devices.
Specific information about the incidents, including the location and circumstances.

Brief Congress and inform the public within 24 hours of incidents that result in hospitalization or death.
Publish information while ensuring individual privacy is protected.

Oversight

The Office of Inspector General within DHS will review compliance with this policy and its implementation on an ongoing basis.

Clerical Changes

The bill also includes minor amendments to the table of contents of the Homeland Security Act to reflect the new section concerning use of force policy.

Relevant Companies

None found.

This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.

Actions

2 actions

Date	Action
Jan. 15, 2026	Introduced in House
Jan. 15, 2026	Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

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