“To require interviews conducted by officers and employees of Federal law enforcement agencies to be recorded.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section requires the Attorney General to mandate electronic audio or video recording of each interview of a person suspected of a criminal offense conducted by Department of Justice (DOJ) officers or employees in federal investigations or while assisting state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies. The requirement applies to both custodial and non-custodial interviews (excluding those with confidential informants), including interviews of U.S. citizens abroad, without need for notice or consent from the interviewee. This section further provides that unrecorded statements obtained during such interviews are inadmissible as evidence by the government in federal court; requires retention of recordings for 10 years after the investigation or related judicial proceedings conclude (or indefinitely if related to a federal or state capital offense); and directs the Attorney General to issue implementing rules within 180 days of enactment. (Thus, the policy standardizes recording practices across DOJ components to enhance evidence reliability and promote transparency in federal and assisted investigations.)