Comprehensive Reform Effort Would Crack Down on Police Brutality and Misconduct
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today voted to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (H.R. 1280), a bill to forcefully confront police brutality and misconduct, curb racial profiling, hold officers accountable and improve transparency standards for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies around the country.
“This sweeping overhaul of American policing will help set a new tone and culture in law enforcement and dismantle the entrenched systems of power and privilege that have targeted and abused communities of color in this country – for centuries,” said Congressman Sarbanes, who co-sponsored the bill and voted to pass it in the 116th Congress. “We cannot allow the promise of America to continue to be betrayed by police officers who do not value Black lives. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act will help end this corruption of justice.”
Key elements of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act include:
- Banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants.
- Ending racial and religious profiling.
- Reforming qualified immunity for law enforcement.
- Creating a National Police Misconduct Registry to track problematic officers.
- Establishing national standards for police departments across the country and strengthening federal authority to investigate problematic police departments.
- Limiting the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies.
- Expanding the use of dashboard cameras and body cameras for federal, state and local law enforcement.
- Requiring data collection of police encounters.
- Investing in community-based policing programs.
- Holding officers accountable for excessive use of force and mandating independent prosecutors for police investigations.
See here for more information about the bill.
