Civil actions for deprivation of rights

Section 1979 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1983) is amended— (1) in the first sentence, by striking Every and inserting the following: (a) In this section: (1) The term person includes— (A) the United States; (B) a State or Territory or the District of Columbia; (C) a local government; (D) an agency, government body, or any subdivision of the United States, a State or Territory or the District of Columbia, or a local government, or an entity created by a combination of any of the foregoing; and (E) an individual or private entity. (2) The term law enforcement officer includes any officer of a local government, or of a State or Territory or the District of Columbia, or of the United States, or an entity created by a combination of any of the foregoing who is empowered by law to execute searches, to seize evidence, or to make arrests for violations of law. (b) Every; (2) in subsection (b), as so designated, in the first sentence, by inserting the United States, before any State; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (c) A person is liable under this section for a violation of rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws committed by an individual who at the time of the violation is employed by the person as, or contracted by the person to do the work of, a law enforcement officer. Liability under this subsection shall exist without regard to whether such employee or contractor would be immune from liability, and without regard to whether the employee or contractor was acting pursuant to a policy or custom of the person who is the employer. (d) Pursuant to section 5 of the 14th Amendment, no State shall be immune from suit, under the Eleventh Amendment or other doctrine of State sovereign immunity, for any claims on which subsection (c) subjects a person to liability. (e) For purposes of an action under subsection (c), the United States waives its sovereign immunity. (f) Except as expressly stated, no provision of this section shall be construed to abolish, repeal, or limit the scope of any right of action otherwise available under this section or any other source of law..