Congresswoman Elaine Luria Cosponsors Justice in Policing Act

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – Today, Congresswoman Elaine Luria announced her support of historic policing reform legislation that will ensure we build trust between law enforcement and our communities, hold police accountable, and enhance public safety. Congresswoman Luria joined this bicameral effort by cosponsoring the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (H.R. 7120).

“Only by enacting corrective policies will we be able to revitalize the vital role that police must play in keeping our communities safe,” said Congresswoman Elaine Luria. “That is why I am proud to join my colleagues as a cosponsor of the Justice in Policing Act, which lays out a comprehensive plan to rebuild this critical community relationship, ensure accountability, and safeguard public safety for all Americans.”

The Justice in Policing Act of 2020:

• Prohibits federal, state, and local law enforcement from racial profiling and mandates training on racial, religious, and discriminatory profiling for all law enforcement.
• Bans chokeholds, carotid holds, and no-knock warrants at the federal level and limits the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement.
• Mandates the use of dashboard cameras and body cameras for federal officers and requires state and local law enforcement to ensure the use of police body cameras.
• Establishes a National Police Misconduct Registry to prevent officers who are fired from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability.
• Reforms qualified immunity so that individuals are not barred from recovering damages when police violate their constitutional rights.
• Establishes public safety innovation grants for community-based organizations to create local commissions and task forces to help communities to re-imagine and develop concrete, just and equitable public safety approaches.
• Creates law enforcement development and training programs to develop best practices.
• Requires state and local law enforcement agencies to report use of force data, disaggregated by race, sex, disability, religion, age.
• Creates a grant program for state attorneys general to develop authority to conduct independent investigations into problematic police departments.
• Establishes a Department of Justice task force to coordinate the investigation, prosecution and enforcement efforts of federal, state and local governments in cases related to law enforcement misconduct.

This week, Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, testified before the House Judiciary Committee in support of Justice in Policing Act: “I’m tired. I’m tired of the pain I’m feeling now and I’m tired of the pain I feel every time another black person is killed for no reason. I’m here today to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired. George’s calls for help were ignored. Please listen to the call I’m making to you now, to the calls of our family, and to the calls ringing out in the streets across the world.”