Uniform Standards for Federal Law Enforcement Act of 2026

A Federal law enforcement officer may only use deadly force when the officer has a reasonable belief that the use of such force is necessary to prevent imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury to the law enforcement officer or another person.

The use of deadly force may not be considered necessary—

(A) solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect;

(B) solely to disable a moving vehicle; or

(C) against a person whose actions are a threat solely to themself or to property.

The discharge of a firearm by a Federal law enforcement officer at a moving vehicle may not be considered necessary unless—

(A) a person in the vehicle is threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle; or

(B) the person operating the vehicle is doing so in a manner that threatens to cause death or serious physical injury to the officer or others, and no other objectively reasonable means of defense appear to exist, including moving out of the path of the vehicle.

Prior to using deadly force, a Federal law enforcement officer shall give a verbal warning to the individual on whom the officer intends to use such force, to the extent practicable, and only if giving such warning would not increase the imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury to the law enforcement officer or another person.

Except in a Federal prison, a Federal law enforcement officer may not discharge a firearm as a warning.

The Attorney General, in consultation with the heads of other Federal agencies that employ Federal law enforcement officers, shall develop and provide training to Federal law enforcement officers on methods and tactics to use in conducting law enforcement activities in situations, with respect to which, the use of deadly force is prohibited under this section.

In this section, the term Federal law enforcement officer means—

(1) a Federal law enforcement officer, as such term is defined in section 115 of title 18, United States Code; and

(2) an immigration officer, as such term is defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).