The Right to Record Act of 2026 establishes a federal civil right protecting people's ability to record, observe, or peacefully protest law enforcement activities in public. The bill creates a legal cause of action allowing individuals to sue federal law enforcement officers and the federal government itself for violations of this right, with damages of at least $25,000 per violation and up to $100,000 in punitive damages if the officer acted with malice or reckless disregard. Specific violations include preventing someone from recording, threatening them for recording, arresting them because they recorded, seizing their recording equipment or devices, or retaliating against them in other ways. The bill requires all federal law enforcement agencies to train their officers within one year of enactment and every year thereafter on how to respect this right, and it allows successful plaintiffs to recover attorney's fees and court costs. The legislation applies to all federal law enforcement agencies and officers, and it contains narrow exceptions only when someone physically restrains or restricts an officer while that officer is performing official duties.
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