United States Code

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Civil action for deprivation of rights

Statute Watch

Get an alert when any bill in Congress would change this law — and every time it moves.

Sign in to follow →

Bills that would change it 43

  • HR 8858 Protecting American Voters’ Rights Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 7290 Qualified Immunity Accountability Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 7284 ICE OUT Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 3625 Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 7046 Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 3470 Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 6493 NOEM Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 3366 Back the Blue Act of 2025 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 6092 Constitutional Accountability Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 6091 Bivens Act of 2025 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 3186 Constitutional Accountability Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 3187 Bivens Act of 2025 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 5361 George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 4944 Ending Qualified Immunity for ICE Agents Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 3602 Ending Qualified Immunity Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 1913 Ending Qualified Immunity Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 1354 Justice for All Act of 2025 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 503 Qualified Immunity Act of 2025 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 122 Qualified Immunity Act of 2025 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 8525 George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2024 Police Exercising Absolute Care With Everyone Act of 2024 Closing the Law Enforcement Consen... Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 2847 Ending Qualified Immunity Act Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • S 1196 Ending Qualified Immunity Act Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 697 Justice for All Act of 2023 Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 425 History and Tradition Protection Act of 2023 Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 233 Qualified Immunity Act of 2023 Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 8794 Miranda Rights Restoration Act of 2022 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 6327 Constitutional Accountability Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 6185 Bivens Act of 2021 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 9219 Justice for All Act of 2022 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • S 3415 Constitutional Accountability Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • S 3343 Bivens Act of 2021 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 2224 History and Tradition Protection Act of 2021 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • S 2103 Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 1489 Civil Rights Enhancement and Law Enforcement Accountability Improvement Act of 2021 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 1470 Ending Qualified Immunity Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 1280 George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 288 Qualified Immunity Act of 2021 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • S 492 Ending Qualified Immunity Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 5395 Back the Blue Act of 2019 Amends · introduced · 116th Congress
  • S 1480 Back the Blue Act of 2019 Amends · introduced · 116th Congress
  • HR 1269 History and Tradition Protection Act of 2019 Amends · introduced · 116th Congress
  • HR 2437 Back the Blue Act of 2017 Amends · introduced · 115th Congress
  • S 1134 Back the Blue Act of 2017 Amends · introduced · 115th Congress

The law today

From the official United States Code, current through Public Law 119-124.

Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer’s judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.
Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗