Rep. Lawson Votes to Pass George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
Press Release
U.S. Rep. Al Lawson (FL-05) voted to pass H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, transformative legislation to reimagine the culture of policing in America with unprecedented reforms to curb police brutality, end racial profiling, eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement and build greater trust between law enforcement and communities. The 220-212 vote came nine months after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers.
"Last summer, our state and the nation were rocked by a reckoning around the horrors of police brutality and racial injustice," said Rep. Lawson, who was a co-sponsor of the bill. "Sadly, despite countless Americans from every walk of life peacefully protesting and raising awareness for these crises, the epidemic continues. To honor my responsibility to North Florida families and the American people, I proudly joined my colleagues to once again pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act."
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act will take numerous key steps to achieve transformative, structural change by:
Banning all chokeholds;
Banning no-knock warrants in drug cases;
Ending racial, religious and discriminatory profiling;
Eliminating the qualified immunity doctrine that is a barrier to holding police officers accountable for wrongful conduct;
Establishing a National Police Misconduct Registry to improve transparency and prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave one agency, from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability;
Requiring data collection, including mandatory body cameras and dashboard cameras;
Establishing new standards for policing and the Public Safety Innovation grants for community-based organizations to help reimagine policing in their communities;
Making lynching a federal hate crime; and more.
"I remain committed to working with the Biden-Harris Administration and the millions of Americans marching and demanding action," Rep. Lawson said. "We will not stop working until the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act becomes law."
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