A significant criminal justice reform bill, which has been stalled in legislative limbo for years, was reintroduced ahead of the fourth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by police. This proposed law, named the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, was reintroduced by longtime Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
“Far too many lives have been lost or forever changed due to unacceptable incidents of police brutality throughout our nation,” Jackson Lee stated during a press conference with family members of Blacks killed by law enforcement. “We cannot allow another American to be deprived of their humanity, dignity, and constitutional rights without taking action.”
Among those in attendance were the family of George Floyd, who died after Derek Chauvin applied deadly pressure to Floyd’s neck with his knee for over nine minutes on May 25, 2020. Floyd’s death, during which he repeatedly stated “I can’t breathe,” sparked the largest series of racial justice protests in modern U.S. history.
“My sincerest thanks to the family of George Floyd, family members of other victims of police violence, my fellow members of Congress, representatives of advocacy organizations, and others who came out today for the reintroduction of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee posted on X.
Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, emphasized the importance of passing the bill. “The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act fulfills a promise we made four years ago to his and every family of a Black man or woman killed by law enforcement,” Sharpton said in a statement. “Until cops know they can lose their job, their pension, or their house, they will continue to use excessive force and betray the public trust.”
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act aims to end police brutality, hold officers accountable, enhance transparency in policing, and create significant structural changes in law enforcement practices. Initially introduced in June 2020, shortly after Floyd’s death, the bill seeks to address many issues highlighted by the ongoing police killings of unarmed Black individuals. It includes provisions to redefine legal terms that hinder the prosecution of officers who commit violence, eliminate new federal funding for police departments, and establish a national registry for officers accused of misconduct to prevent them from being rehired by other departments.
Notable portions of the bill also mandate the use of body and dashboard cameras, ban chokeholds, and make lynching a federal crime, acknowledging both Floyd’s and Ahmaud Arbery’s deaths. Arbery’s mother is expected to stand with Jackson Lee during the bill’s reintroduction.
Despite President Joe Biden’s 2021 deadline to pass the bill by the first anniversary of Floyd’s murder, it did not advance. Critics argue that police continue to evade accountability due to insufficient laws addressing brutality and excessive force. Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina has been largely blamed for stalling the bill due to his support for qualified immunity, which protects officers from civil liability for constitutional violations.
In 2022, Biden signed an executive order on policing, aiming to bring meaningful reform by creating a national database of police misconduct, strengthening investigations, mandating body camera policies, and banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants. While this order represents a step forward, civil rights groups insist that broader legislative efforts are needed for true accountability. The executive order’s language aligns with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which Senate Republicans have filibustered into legislative purgatory.