Langevin Votes for George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Press Release

Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) today voted for H.R. 1280, the Justice in Policing Act of 2021, a sweeping criminal justice reform bill that would make structural changes to law enforcement to address police brutality and racial injustice and raise accountability standards and oversight of officers. Langevin was an original co-sponsor of the bill, which passed the House by a vote of 220-212. The following statement may be attributed to Congressman Langevin.

"Our nation continues the grieve the tragic death of George Floyd, who was among the countless people of color who have experienced discrimination and unequal justice under the law. I was proud to support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to help us live up to our core values of liberty and equality. By passing the bill this evening, the House took an important step to combat structural racism, improve accountability and transparency in law enforcement, and make clear that Black Lives Matter. We cannot sit idly by as unjust policing practices torment communities of color.

"The vast majority of police officers live up to their oaths and carry out their duties honorably. Strong bonds between law enforcement agencies and their communities are vital to ensuring public safety. In order to heal and move forward, we cannot shy away from the structural challenges that have resulted in so many black and brown lives ending at the hands of the police. Policing in the 21st Century must be different. It is past time for this desperately needed reform, and I urge my Senate colleagues to take up this measure immediately."

Key provision in the Justice in Policing Act of 2021:

Prohibits federal, state, and local law enforcement from racial, religious and discriminatory 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 use existing federal funds to ensure the use of police body cameras.
Establishes a National Police Misconduct Registry to prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave on agency from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability.
A fact sheet on the Justice in Policing Act of 2021 is available here.

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