1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

The House should pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2024 to enact vital reforms to law enforcement practices and increase accountability. This comprehensive legislation incorporates many key measures that President Biden and Vice President Harris have championed, such as: - Banning chokeholds and carotid holds at the federal level and denying funds to states that do not enact a similar ban. These restraints can be deadly and their use must be prohibited. - Ending qualified immunity as a defense in civil rights lawsuits against law enforcement officers. This will allow victims of excessive force to have their day in court. - Creating a national registry to track police misconduct and certify hiring of law enforcement officers. This database will prevent officers fired for misconduct from being rehired elsewhere. - Requiring body cameras for federal officers and incentivizing their use at state and local levels through grant funding. Body cameras promote transparency and accountability. - Restricting the transfer of military-grade equipment to police departments and banning no-knock warrants for federal drug cases. Demilitarizing the police is an important step. These and other provisions align with the President and Vice President's calls for law enforcement reforms to root out systemic racism and restore community trust. Passing this Act would be a significant achievement in making policing more just and equitable for all Americans.