S. 3470 — Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act

This section amends 42 U.S.C. 1983 (civil action for deprivation of rights) by (1) adding subsection (a) to define "public employer" as a federal law enforcement agency that employs or contracts with a federal law enforcement officer or any other officer empowered by law to execute searches, seize evidence, or make arrests; (2) designating the original text as subsection (b) and inserting "the United States or" before "any State" to extend liability to persons acting under color of federal law (previously, only state, territorial, or District of Columbia law); and (3) adding subsection (c) to impose vicarious liability on the public employer for a covered officer's deprivation of constitutional rights while acting under color of law, regardless of agency policy or custom or the officer's defenses or immunities, including a waiver of sovereign immunity for federal law enforcement agencies. (Thus, plaintiffs may sue federal law enforcement agencies directly under Section 1983 for their officers' misconduct, in addition to individual officers.)