The House voted 220-212 on Wednesday evening to pass a police reform bill named for George Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis last year led to nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
“The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act fundamentally transforms the culture of policing with strong, unprecedented reforms,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi prior to the bill’s passage.” This legislation will not erase centuries of systemic racism and excessive policing in America. It will not bring back George Floyd, Breonna Taylor – say her name, Breonna Taylor – Ahmaud Arbery, or the countless other men and women who died or were senselessly injured.”
“But it will make a tremendous – take a tremendous step toward – or to stop the violence, stem the suffering and start to build a healthier, better relationship between law enforcement and communities that they respect.”
The wide-ranging legislation would ban chokeholds and eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement. The bill would also ban no-knock warrants, mandate data collection on police encounters, prohibit racial and religious profiling and redirect funding to community-based policing programs.
A similar version of the legislation also passed the House last year, but stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate, where it never got a vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has committed to bringing the bill to the floor for a vote. 10 Ten Republicans will need to vote in favor of the bill, along with all 50 Democrats, to pass the legislation.