House Democrats Reveal Police Reform Bill To Hold Officers Accountable

House Democrats revealed new legislation to reform police policies and hold officers accountable for any abusive behavior.

The bill, called the Justice in Policing Act 2020, is led by the Congressional Black Caucus and comes in the wake of nationwide protests over the wrongful death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minnesota police officer.

The 136-page bill includes new policies to make it easier to prosecute officers for misconduct in civil court, according to CBS News.

If passed, the bill would reform qualified immunity, which means that if people’s constitutional rights are violated by cops, they would be able to recover damages.

The bill also aims to implement structural reforms at the Justice Department and incentivize state attorney generals to conduct pattern and practice investigations of local police departments, according to CBS. It will also provide grants for states to investigate police-involved deaths.

The bill will create a National Police Misconduct Registry and force law enforcement to turn over data on police use of force allegations.

The bill was announced Monday by Nancy Pelosi, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, and other congressional Democrats. Before the press conference, Democrats kneeled in silence in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

“The world is witnessing the birth of a new movement in our country,” Congresswoman Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said during the press conference. “A profession where you have the power to kill should be a profession that requires highly trained officers who are accountable to the public.”

“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,” Nancy Pelosi said.