Police Reform: Democrat Unveil Major Reform Bill, Banning Chokeholds And More

Accompanied by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Monday introduced the “Justice in Policing Act,” a reform bill aimed at instituting major changes to law enforcement.

“The martyrdom of George Floyd gave the American experience a moment of national anguish as we grieve for the black Americans killed by police brutality today,” Pelosi said. “This moment of national anguish is being transformed into a movement of national action as Americans from across the country peacefully protest to demand an end to injustice. Today, with the justice and policing at the Congress is standing with those fighting for justice and taking action.”

The bill was co-authored by Black Caucus Chairwoman Karen Bass of California, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York, and Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Cory Booker, D-N.J.

Included alongside various proposed changes are two inspired by current events, NBC News reports. The bill would ban the use of chokeholds by the police, like the kind recently used to kill George Floyd by Minneapolis police. It would also ban no-knock warrants in drug-related cases, which led to the killing of Breonna Taylor by Louisville police in March.

Aside from these points, the bill would require departments to send data about their officers’ use of force to the federal government. A new grant system would also create a new method for state attorneys general to investigate departments accused of misconduct and would empower civilians to pursue damages when police violate their rights.

The Congressional Democrats’ bill also includes points that previous reform efforts have relied on, including bias recognition training programs and the required use of body and dashboard cameras by all federal officers.

Prior to the bill's unveiling, Pelosi and the Black Caucus members kneeled for eight minutes and 46 seconds to honor Floyd's memory.