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CIVIC HERALD
HR 7119 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

DHS Use of Force Oversight Act

In plain language: This bill establishes a department-wide policy limiting when and how Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement officers can use force against members of the public. It bans the use of chokeholds and neck restraints on non-compliant individuals, prioritizes de-escalation tactics, and requires ongoing officer training. Additionally, DHS must publish public reports every six months on all significant force incidents and notify both Congress and the public within 24 hours whenever an encounter leads to a hospitalization or death.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, issue tags, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affected—not determinable from the text provided
Fiscal magnitude—no CBO estimate published
Reach48provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Policing & funding+45Ethics & oversight+45Enforcement & security+35

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it helps

  • Individuals interacting with DHS law enforcementGains protections through department-wide limits on law enforcement force, including a ban on chokeholds and carotid restraints against non-compliant resisting individuals, a preference for de-escalation, and verbal warnings when feasible, as well as public transparency on force incidents.provisional
  • Congressional homeland security committeesEntitled to receive briefings from DHS within 24 hours of any use-of-force incident that results in hospitalization or death.provisional

Who it burdens

  • DHS law enforcement officers and agentsMust adhere to strict use-of-force standards (including prohibitions on chokeholds and carotid restraints to control non-compliant resisting individuals), attempt verbal warnings when feasible, and complete initial and ongoing training in use-of-force and de-escalation tactics.provisional
  • Department of Homeland Security (DHS)Must establish department-wide use-of-force policies, appoint compliance officials, operate review committees, collect incident data, publish semi-annual public reports, and issue public notices and congressional briefings within 24 hours of incidents causing hospitalization or death.provisional
  • DHS Office of Inspector GeneralRequired to conduct ongoing oversight reviews of DHS compliance with use-of-force policies and training mandates.provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a department-wide policy requiring officers and agents to use only objectively reasonable force, provide verbal warnings when possible, minimize injury risks, and avoid chokeholds and carotid restraints on non-compliant individuals resisting arrest.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional

  2. Directs DHS to emphasize de-escalation tactics and require all DHS law enforcement officers and agents to complete initial and recurring training on use-of-force and de-escalation techniques.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional

  3. Requires DHS to publish public reports every six months detailing use-of-force incidents—including injuries, deaths, firearm discharges, and less-than-lethal weapon deployments—broken down by component and location, while protecting individual privacy.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional

  4. Directs DHS to notify the public and brief congressional homeland security committees within 24 hours of any use-of-force incident that results in hospitalization or death.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Jan 16, 2026Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
  2. Jan 15, 2026Introduced in House
  3. Jan 15, 2026Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Read the original text →

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 9 days ago

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