Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2386
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-22: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-05T22:00:01Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of S. 2386: Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America's Streets Act
Purpose
This legislation aims to restrict federal involvement in crowd control activities by limiting where and how federal law enforcement officers and armed forces members can operate during protests, riots, or civil disobedience, while adding requirements for identification and public transparency.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: Establishes terms for "Federal law enforcement officer" (including contractors), "law enforcement function" (covering prevention, investigation, prosecution, or incarceration of law violations), and "member of an armed force" (including National Guard).
- Required Identification: Mandates that officers or armed forces members engaged in crowd control, riot control, or arrests during demonstrations must visibly display their agency, last name or unique identifier, and (for military) rank; prohibits covering this information or using unmarked vehicles for apprehensions.
- Limitation on Crowd Control Authority: Restricts operations to federal property or its immediate vicinity (such as adjacent sidewalks and streets), with exceptions only for joint written requests from a state governor and local government head, or if the Insurrection Act is invoked.
- Limitation on Arrest Authority: Makes it unlawful for officers or armed forces members to arrest individuals if their actions violate the identification or location rules.
- Notice to the Public: Requires federal agencies or armed forces to post detailed public notices on their websites within 24 hours of deployment, including deployment dates, personnel numbers by location, mission descriptions, detainee locations and custody details, and copies of any assistance requests.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces new statutory limits on federal law enforcement deployment for domestic crowd control, which previously lacked such geographic and procedural restrictions outside of specific statutes like the Insurrection Act. It adds mandatory identification standards and transparency obligations not previously required in this context for federal personnel.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Federal executive, legislative, and judicial branch agencies with law enforcement roles, along with the Department of Defense and National Guard, would face operational constraints, additional administrative requirements for notices, and potential legal risks for non-compliance.
- On Citizens: Individuals participating in protests or demonstrations could experience greater visibility of federal personnel and restrictions on federal arrests outside limited areas, potentially affecting enforcement during large-scale events.
- On State and Local Governments: Units of local government and states gain a formal role in requesting federal assistance, which could influence coordination during civil disturbances.
- No direct impacts on international relations are outlined in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal law enforcement agencies and personnel.
- Members of the armed forces and National Guard.
- State governors and local government officials.
- Individuals engaged in demonstrations, protests, or civil disobedience.
- The general public, due to transparency requirements.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill explicitly preserves the Insurrection Act as an exception, potentially raising questions about the balance between federal and state authority in domestic law enforcement. It may intersect with constitutional considerations around due process, free speech during assemblies, and the use of federal forces in non-federal spaces, though the legislation does not address these directly.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (10)
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD], Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI], Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL], Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA], Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA], Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI], Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE], Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT], Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-22: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-07-22: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act — issued 2025-07-22 — PDF (6 pages)