By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO
U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.-4), has reintroduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a measure that seeks to confront the policing practices that came under intense scrutiny after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in 2020.
Ivey announced the reintroduction of the bill on Sept. 15, five years after Floyd’s death in Minneapolis which sparked a national reckoning on policing. The statute seeks to transform how officers interact with the communities they serve. It advances reforms across three fronts, strengthening accountability, enhancing transparency, and changing police training and practices.
Ivey told the AFRO that this legislation is “critical” to restoring public trust in law enforcement.
“It has passed the House twice. We weren’t able to get it through the last session of Congress, but we want to move forward with it now,” said the Maryland Democratic leader. “I’m taking it over now because the legendary U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas-18) passed away and they put me in a position to move forward with it because of my background being a prosecutor and a criminal defense lawyer for almost a quarter of a century.”
Congressman Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-1), also underscored the urgency of the legislation.
“When we think about the current state of angst in the nation, we need a justice in policing act,” Jackson told the AFRO. “We need to protect citizens and be supportive of law enforcement. We can do both at the same time. I’m hopeful and optimistic that it will get passed.”
At the core of the bill are provisions that aim to hold officers accountable when misconduct occurs. It lowers the threshold for federal prosecutions of misconduct under 18 U.S.C. Section 242, shifting the standard from “willfulness” to “recklessness.”
The legislation aims to reform qualified immunity, expand the Justice Department’s authority to investigate systemic abuses and push states to adopt independent investigations of deaths involving police. The legislation also builds on recommendations of the Obama administration’s 21st Century Policing Task Force, aiming to set nationwide standards.
Ivey told the AFRO that the goal is to ensure there is “transparency” and “accountability” when it comes to policing.
“The vast majority of police are doing their job the right way but there are some that don’t and the George Floyd case, I think, demonstrated that in a way that no one can deny. It is more necessary now than ever because of the Trump administration militarization of civilian law enforcement,” said the congressman.
“We saw that here in D.C., L.A., they’re looking to do other cities, including Memphis. It’s clear that this is the type of legislation that is needed now more than ever. We’re going to try to do everything we can to move it forward,” Ivey continued.
The act would also establish a National Police Misconduct Registry, preventing officers with problematic records from moving between jurisdictions to escape scrutiny. It would require state and local departments to report data on use-of-force incidents, broken down by race, sex, disability and age.
Among its reforms, the legislation would ban chokeholds, carotid holds and no-knock warrants in drug cases. It mandates training on racial bias, establishes a duty for officers to intervene, and shifts the legal standard for use of force from “reasonable” to “necessary.” It aims to also limit the transfer of military-grade equipment to local departments, expand the use of body-worn cameras, and invest in community-based public safety programs.
Members of George Floyd’s family welcomed the bill’s reintroduction.
“We are grateful to Congressman Glenn Ivey and his colleagues for reintroducing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Nearly five years after George’s life was taken, our family continues to grieve but we also continue to hope,” said Philonise and Keeta Floyd, his brother and sister-in-law, in a statement.
“This legislation carries his name because it represents more than just his memory; it represents a call for real change so that no other family has to suffer the way we have. We urge Congress to act with the courage and compassion this moment demands and finally deliver accountability, transparency, and justice in policing across America,” the statement continues.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump also praised the measure.
“Thank you, Congressman Glenn Ivey and your colleagues, for your steadfast leadership in reintroducing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” wrote Crump in a statement. “This moment marks a critical step toward confronting systemic injustice and demanding real accountability in law enforcement, and I am deeply grateful for your commitment to building a safer, more just America for all.”
Despite previous setbacks, Ivey expressed confidence that the legislation will become law.
“If not this congressional session, then the next,” he told the AFRO. “It’s been too long as it is, delayed but not denied. We just have to make sure we are pressing toward the mark. So, we can get this done.”