Congressional Democrats have introduced a comprehensive police reform bill that would increase transparency and accountability as well as ban certain practices.
The bill, introduced by Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass, Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler, has over 200 sponsors between the House and Senate. The intent of the legislation is to change the culture of policing and to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they police.
Route Fifty reports:
House and Senate lawmakers said the proposals will increase transparency and accountability in local law enforcement, although they stopped short of embracing demonstrators’ calls to defund police agencies.
Among the proposed reforms that lawmakers announced at a press conference Monday at the U.S. Capitol, the legislation would seek to ban the use of chokeholds, end officers’ use of no-knock warrants in drug cases, limit legal protections that often prevent victims of police brutality from pursuing civil litigation, and establish a National Police Misconduct Registry to track discipline and complaints against officers.
Additionally, the House Judiciary Committee will be holding a virtual oversight hearing on policing practices and law enforcement accountability this Wednesday, June 10th at 10 a.m.
For more information:
Congressional Democrats Introduce Sweeping Police Reform Bill (Route Fifty)
Chair Bass, Senators Booker and Harris, and Chair Nadler Introduce the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (press release)
Justice in Policing Act 2020 Full Legislation