Private Detention Corporate Accountability Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9883 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9883

 To create a private right of action to hold private detention centers
liable for the wrongful death of any person being held in such private
               detention center, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2026

   Mr. Tran (for himself, Mr. Moulton, Mrs. Watson Coleman, and Mr.
  Thanedar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To create a private right of action to hold private detention centers
liable for the wrongful death of any person being held in such private
               detention center, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Private Detention Corporate
Accountability Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. PRIVATE DETENTION CENTER LIABILITY.

    (a) Private Right of Action.--An officer or employee of a private
detention center that causes the wrongful death of any person that was
being held in such private detention center shall be liable, under the
relevant State law, to the decedent or any successor in interest for--
            (1) statutory damages in an amount not less than $5,000,000
        and economic damages; and
            (2) punitive damages, as appropriate.
    (b) Action in District Court.--The decedent or any successor in
interest that suffered the harm described under subsection (a) may
bring an action in the appropriate district court of the United States
for the relief described under such subsection.
    (c) Vicarious Liability.--A private detention center shall be
vicariously liable for any harm described under subsection (a).
    (d) No Immunity Defense.--No officer or employee of a private
detention center shall be entitled to assert any form of absolute or
qualified immunity as a defense to liability under this section.
    (e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to limit the ability of the decedent or any successor in
interest that suffered the harm described under subsection (a) from
bringing an action in a State court for such harm.
    (f) Private Detention Center.--The term ``private detention
center'' means a private entity that has a contract with the Federal
Government to hold any person due to any alleged or purported
violations of civil, criminal, or immigration laws.
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