House Passes Sweeping Reform Bill to End Police Brutality

The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to approve a sweeping new police-reform bill that seeks to curb police brutality, end racial profiling, and hold law enforcement officials more accountable to the people they swore to protect.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which was co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, would, among other things, ban police officers’ use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants, limit legal protections currently provided to law enforcement officials, develop a national standard for the use of force, and create a national registry to track police misconduct.

Much like the recently passed Senate Bill 217, in Colorado, The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 will bring these changes into law on a federal level. A list of the key provisions of this bill are:

• Work to End Racial and Religious Profiling
• Save Lives by
• Banning Chokeholds and No-Knock Warrants
• Limit Military Equipment on American Streets and Requires Body Cameras
• Hold Police Accountable in Court
• Investigate Police Misconduct
• Empower Our Communities to Reimagine Public Safety in an Equitable and Just Way
• Change the Culture of Law Enforcement with Training to Build Integrity and Trust
• Improve Transparency by Collecting Data on Police Misconduct and Use-of-Force
• Stop Sexual Assault in Law Enforcement Custody

A one-page summary of the legislation is available here. A copy of the full bill text is available here.

“What happened to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and so many more Black Americans across this county should never happen to anyone, ever,” said Congresswoman DeGette.

“It’s not enough to simply say Black lives matter; we need to take steps now to ensure everyone in this country—regardless of their race, color or creed—is treated equally by those sworn to protect them. This legislation will fundamentally transform our nation’s system of policing to help prevent the senseless killings of Black Americans by law enforcement officers. This legislation alone will not solve the systemic racism that still persists in this country, but it’s an important first step toward ending the police brutality that too many Black Americans have fallen victim to for far too long.”

Though the bill has passed the House of Representatives, it is excepted the conservative-majority Senate will vote the bill down.