Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2009

 The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2009 (H.R.738) was introduced in the House on January 28, 2009, and it would require states and federal agencies to provide the Attorney General with reports about any deaths of individuals in the custody of law enforcement. It was passed by the House on February 4, 2009, by a vote of 407-1 and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Details
The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2009 requires that:
 * States must provide information about the deceased (name, gender, race, ethnicity, and age), the circumstances of the death, and the law enforcement agency involved;
 * States failing to file reports are subject to a reduction, up to 10 percent, of federal funding for law enforcement;
 * Federal agencies must provide information about the deceased (name, gender, race, ethnicity, and age), the circumstances of the death, and the law enforcement agency involved;
 * The Attorney General must carry out a study based on the data from these reports.

House action
Rep. Robert Scott (D-VA) introduced the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2009 on January 28, 2009. After suspending the rules, the House passed the bill without amendment on February 4, 2009, by a vote of 407-1.



Senate action
The bill was received in the Senate on February 5, 2009, and then referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.