The U.S. Senate needs to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, an important step forward in stopping police brutality and gun violence.
This bill is long overdue, and while the federal government only has so much control over how state and city police govern, passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would be a critical step in creating an America where Black lives matter and Black people receive justice.
The U.S. House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Now it's time for the Senate to act.
Tell your U.S. Senators to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act now >>
Dear Senator,
As your constituent, I urge you to support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a crucial piece of legislation that would begin to address police violence. This bill is also critical for combating racism and white supremacy in this country. Some of the bill's key provisions include:
- Improving the use of force standard for federal officers so that force may be used only when absolutely necessary, banning the use of chokeholds and other neck restraints, and requiring officers to intervene when other officers use excessive force;
- Empowering state officials to investigate and intervene when local police have a pattern or practice of abuse and discrimination under federal law, making it easier to prosecute and sue law enforcement who injure and kill civilians, and improving data on which agencies and which officers have a troubling history;
- Pressuring state and local officials to update their laws and policies, by threatening to withhold federal grants if our in-state leaders continue to sit on their hands;
- Limiting military-style equipment in local hands, working to ensure officers have body-worn cameras, and increasing training on de-escalation, implicit bias, and procedural justice; and
- Adding a new lynching offense to the criminal code, targeting white supremacist violence.
Even as we mourn recent victims of police violence, we urge you to take this critical moment as a moment for progress. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is a strong step toward addressing police brutality and gun violence. We have a long way to travel to reform abusive police practices and fight back against systemic racism, and this legislation would move us in the right direction.