Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability, and Due Process Act of 2001

This bill, introduced in 2001, proposed a national set of "due process" standards for how police departments investigate and discipline their own officers. It sought to establish uniform rules for internal investigations, such as requiring that officers be notified 24 hours before being questioned, allowing them to have legal counsel present during interviews, and prohibiting the use of lie detector tests.

For the average citizen, the bill would have standardized the process for filing complaints against law enforcement by requiring every agency to adopt a formal, written complaint procedure. While the bill aimed to protect the employment rights and political freedoms of officers, it also mandated that agencies begin investigating any outside complaint within 15 days of receiving it. The legislation did not become law and has not seen legislative action since its initial introduction and referral to committee.