Humane Accountability Act

Bill: 118-hr-6282
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
Introduced: 2023-11-07
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Detention of persons

Government studies and investigations

Immigrant health and welfare

Law enforcement officers

Sex offenses

Violent crime
Latest action: action_date: 2023-11-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-11-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Humane Accountability Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to jointly report to Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) about assaults, deaths, complaints, and related instances involving immigration detainees. GAO must subsequently issue recommendations to address the reported instances.</p><p>The joint report must include information from detention centers related to</p><ul><li>detainee deaths while in custody;&nbsp;</li><li>assault or abuse of a detainee while in custody&nbsp;by an officer, staff, or other detainee that requires medical attention;</li><li>sexual assault of detainees while in custody and investigative findings from&nbsp;each such assault;</li><li>complaints submitted by detainees or their families regarding abuse, sexual assault, staff neglect or&nbsp;retaliation, lack of proper resources or amenities, lack of access to legal counsel, or death; and&nbsp;</li><li>the centers' actions to address and remedy such complaints from detainees or their families.</li></ul><p>The report must&nbsp;provide information regarding detention centers operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement.</p><p>The bill requires GAO to provide Congress with a list of recommendations to address the information in the report within 90 days&nbsp;following GAO's receipt of such report.&nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6282 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 7, 2023 Mr. Vasquez (for himself, Ms. Budzinski , Mr. Vargas , Ms. Craig , Mrs. Ramirez , Ms. Salinas , Ms. Caraveo , and Mrs. Trahan ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary , and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To require a report on detainees in U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Humane Accountability Act . 2. Report on DHS and HHS detainees (a) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall jointly submit to Congress and the Comptroller General of the United States a report regarding detainees in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody, as the case may be. Such report shall include information relating to the following: (1) All instances of assault or abuse while in custody either by an officer, staff, or other detainee that requires medical attention. (2) All reports of sexual assault on detainees while in custody, as well as any findings from subsequent investigations into each such assault. (3) All instances of detainee death while in custody. (4) The frequency and topic of complaints submitted by detainees or their families regarding abuse, sexual assault, staff neglect, staff retaliation, lack of proper resources or amenities, lack of access to legal counsel, or death to authorities at detention centers, as well as any action taken by such authorities to address and remedy such complaints. (b) GAO recommendations Not later than 90 days after receipt of the report required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a list of recommendations to address the instances, reports, and complaints included in such report.