Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) Qualified immunity is intended for all but the plainly incompetent or those who knowingly violate the law and is meant to give government officials breathing room to make reasonable mistakes of fact and law. (2) The Supreme Court has observed that qualified immunity balances two important interests, the need to hold law enforcement officers accountable when they exercise power irresponsibly and the need to shield officers from harassment, distraction, and liability when they perform their duties reasonably.