Ending Qualified Immunity Act

S 1196, the "Ending Qualified Immunity Act," amends Section 1983 of federal law to remove qualified immunity as a defense for government officials who violate constitutional rights. It directly affects state and local officials (like police officers) sued under Section 1983 for civil rights violations. The bill eliminates four specific defenses: claims of acting in "good faith," believing conduct was lawful, arguments that rights weren't "clearly established," or that the law was unclear at the time of the violation. This change would allow lawsuits to proceed without requiring plaintiffs to prove the right was explicitly defined before the incident. The bill aims to restore the original intent of Section 1983, which Congress states was never meant to include these immunity defenses.