,,ii  #aai? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,s4 #cahf  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,novemb] #ah1 #bjbe,mr4
 ,:iteh\se 7= himself & ,mr4 ,padilla7  
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read     
twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on !     
,judici>y  ,a ,,bill  ,to ensure t !    
,unit$ ,/ates1 ,/ates1 & local gov]nm5ts
 are liable = monet>y damages =         
con/itutional violations by law en=cem5t
 (fic]s4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may 
be cit$ z ! ,con/itutional              
,acc\ntability ,act4  #b4 ,f9d+s        
,congress f9ds ! foll[+3 7#a7 ,! #ad?   
,am5dm5t to ! ,con/itution ( ! ,unit$   
,/ates 0 pass$ by ,congress & ratifi$ by
 ! p ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates aga9/ ! backdrop 
( num]\s ,/ate laws1 policies1 &        
practices t d5i$ ,african ,am]icans &   
o!rs _! enjoym5t ( fundam5tal rights4   
7#b7 ,congress draft$ ! #ad? ,am5dm5t to
 broadly protect fundam5tal rights &    
gu>antee equality to all p]sons4  7#c7  
,to help realize ! promise ( equality   
protect$ 9 ! #ad? ,am5dm5t1 ,congress   

pass$ section #aigi ( ! ,revis$ ,/atutes
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aihc7 7ref]r$ to 9 ?is 
section z section #aihc71 creat+ a      
/atutory rem$y = violations ( !         
,con/itution ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates & ,f$]al 
law4 ,accord+ to ,mit*um v4 ,fo/]1 #djg 
,u4,s4 #bbe1 #bdb 7#aigb71 section #aihc
 0 int5d$ to int]pose ! ,f$]al c\rts    
betwe5 ! ,/ates & ! p1 z gu>dians ( !   
p's ,f$]al rights4  7#d7 ,by creat+ ?is 
rem$y1 ,congress recogniz$ t civil suits
 are a necess>y & p[]ful tool to protect
 individual rights4 ,suits "u section   
#aihc c n only make :ole victims :o are 
wrong$4 ,! suits c inc5tivize actors to 
take ! /eps necess>y to avoid wrongdo+ 9
 ! fir/ place4  7#e7 ,un=tunately1 !    
,supreme ,c\rt's curr5t crabb$          
int]pretation ( section #aihc und]m9es  
its ability to accompli% ^! goals4  7#f7
 ,private employ]s are responsible = !  
torts ( _! employees "u ! doctr9e (     
respondeat sup]ior4 ,! risk ( liability 
inc5tivizes private employ]s to         
effectively hire1 sup]vise1 tra91 &     

discipl9e _! employees4  7#g7 ,9        
contra/1 "u ,monell v4 ,dep>tm5t (      
,social ,s]vices ( ! ,city ( ,new ,york1
 #dcf ,u4,s4 #feh 7#aigh71 municipal    
def5dants are n subject to respondeat   
sup]ior liability = ! con/itutional     
torts ( _! (fic]s4 ,cities may only be  
held liable = ! con/itutional torts ( _!
 (fic]s only :5 ! pla9tiff c %[ t !     
violation 0 ! result ( a municipal      
policy or cu/om4 ,"u ,w ,v4 ,mi*igan    
,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate ,police1 #dia ,u4,s4  
#eh 7#aihi71 ,/ates _c be held liable at
 all4  7#h7 ,! ,monell doctr9e requires 
judges to resolve difficult que/ions    
reg>d+ :i* (ficials are policymak]s1    
:e!r an (ficial 0 act+ 9 ,/ate or local 
capacity1 & municipalities' tra9+ & hir+
 processes4  7#i7 ,9 ,bo>d ( ,c\nty     
,commission]s v4 ,br[n1 #ebj ,u4,s4     
#cig1 #dcj 7#aiig71 ,ju/ice ,brey]      
criticiz$ ?is highly complex body (     
int]pretive law & call$ = a reexam9ation
 ( ! legal s\ndness ( ! ,monell doctr9e4
 ,num]\s s*ol>s1 z well z o!r juri/s1 h 

criticiz$ ! ,monell doctr9e z convolut$1
 inconsi/5t1 arbitr>y1 & un9telligible4 
7#aj7 ,!re is no /atutory cause ( action
 = con/itutional violations by ,f$]al   
(ficials4 ,victims c only br+ _! claims 
if c\rts inf] a cause ( action1 :i* !y  
are increas+ly unlikely to d4  7#aa7    
,police (fic]s are regul>ly call$ ^u to 
make split-second1 life-or-dea?         
decisions4 ,! curr5t liability regime1  
h[ev]1 is n suffici5t to ensure t police
 dep>tm5ts adequately hire1 tra91       
sup]vise1 & discipl9e _! (fic]s s t !y c
 respond to ^! situations 9 a           
con/itutional mann]4  7#ab7 ,!re are ov]
 #ah1jjj police dep>tm5ts 9 ! ,unit$    
,/ates & no uni=m /&>d on h[ (fic]s %\ld
 be tra9$4 ,dep>tm5ts g5]ally require   
significantly m tra9+ on h[ to deploy   
=ce ?an :5 x is appropriate to d s4 ,z  
rec5tly z #bjag1 #cd ,/ates did n m&ate 
de-escalation tra9+ = all (fic]s4  7#ac7
 ,a ,national ,public ,radio /udy (     
fatal police %oot+s ( un>m$ ,black p    
nationwide f\nd t sev]al (fic]s 7       

involv$ 9 multiple %oot+s )\t           
consequ5ces4 ,! same /udy f\nd t        
dep>tm5ts hir$ (fic]s ) hi/ories (      
dome/ic viol5ce1 z well z (fic]s :o 7   
fir$ or =c$ out ( o!r police dep>tm5ts  
due to prior misconduct4  7#ad7 ,accord+
 to ,unit$ ,/ates v4 ,georgia1 #edf     
,u4,s4 #aea1 #aeh 7#bjjf71 ,congress has
 ! p[] "u section #e ( ! #ad? ,am5dm5t  
to ! ,con/itution ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates to  
provide = direct en=cem5t ( section #a (
 ! #ad? ,am5dm5t by creat+ private      
rem$ies1 includ+ ones aga9/ ! ,/ates44  
7#ae7 ,elim9at+ re/rictions on !        
liability ( ,/ate & local gov]nm5ts is  
necess>y to ensure t no ,/ate %all      
deprive any p]son ( life1 lib]ty1 or    
prop]ty1 )\t due process ( law2 nor d5y 
to any p]son )9 its jurisdiction ! equal
 protection ( ! laws44  #c4 ,civil      
actions = deprivation ( rights ,section 
#aigi ( ! ,revis$ ,/atutes 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aihc7 is am5d$-- 7#a7 9 !    
fir/ s5t5ce1 by /rik+ ,e & ins]t+ !     
foll[+3  7a7 ,9 ?is section3 7#a7 ,! t]m

 p]son includes-- 7,a7 ! ,unit$ ,/ates2 
7,b7 a ,/ate or ,t]ritory or ! ,di/rict 
( ,columbia2  7,c7 a local gov]nm5t2    
7,d7 an ag5cy1 gov]nm5t body1 or any    
subdivision ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 a ,/ate  
or ,t]ritory or ! ,di/rict ( ,columbia1 
or a local gov]nm5t1 or an entity creat$
 by a comb9ation ( any ( ! =ego+2 &     
7,e7 an individual or private entity4   
7#b7 ,! t]m law en=cem5t (fic] includes 
any (fic] ( a local gov]nm5t1 or ( a    
,/ate or ,t]ritory or ! ,di/rict (      
,columbia1 or ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 or an  
entity creat$ by a comb9ation ( any ( ! 
=ego+ :o is emp[]$ by law to execute    
se>*es1 to seize evid5ce1 or to make    
arre/s = violations ( law4  7b7 ,e  2   
7#b7 9 subsection 7b71 z s designat$1 9 
! fir/ s5t5ce1 by ins]t+ ! ,unit$       
,/ates1 be=e any ,/ate2 &  7#c7 by add+ 
at ! end ! foll[+3  7c7 ,a p]son is     
liable "u ?is section = a violation (   
rights1 privileges1 or immunities secur$
 by ! ,con/itution & laws committ$ by an
 individual :o at ! "t ( ! violation is 

employ$ by ! p]son z1 or contract$ by ! 
p]son to d ! "w (1 a law en=cem5t (fic]4
 ,liability "u ?is subsection %all exi/ 
)\t reg>d to :e!r su* employee or       
contractor w\ld be immune f liability1 &
 )\t reg>d to :e!r ! employee or        
contractor 0 act+ pursuant to a policy  
or cu/om ( ! p]son :o is ! employ]4  7d7
 ,pursuant to section #e ( ! #ad?       
,am5dm5t1 no ,/ate %all be immune f     
suit1 "u ! ,elev5? ,am5dm5t or o!r      
doctr9e ( ,/ate sov]eign immunity1 = any
 claims on :i* subsection 7c7 subjects a
 p]son to liability4  7e7 ,= purposes ( 
an action "u subsection 7c71 ! ,unit$   
,/ates waives its sov]eign immunity4    
7f7 ,except z expressly /at$1 no        
provision ( ?is section %all be con/ru$ 
to aboli%1 repeal1 or limit ! scope (   
any "r ( action o!rwise available "u ?is
 section or any o!r s\rce ( law4  4