Friends —

Today, I co-sponsored the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 with 34 of my Senate colleagues, led by Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.

This bill makes common-sense changes to hold police officers who break the law accountable, address unchecked bias, change the culture of law enforcement, and lay the groundwork for trust between law enforcement and our communities.

Black lives matter. As a United States Senator, it’s my duty to take action that will result in meaningful structural change.

Here is what the Justice in Policing Act will do:

• Create a national standard for use of force;
• Ban neck holds, chokeholds, and similar excessive force tactics;
• Ban no-knock warrants;
• Require the use of body cams for police;
• Require local police departments to send data on the use of force to the federal government;
• Reform racial profiling training for police officers;
• Create a grant program that would allow state attorneys general to create an independent process to investigate misconduct or excessive use of force; and
• Limit qualified immunity, making it easier to hold police officers who violate the law accountable for their actions.

There is no singular policy solution to correct years of overpolicing and systemic racism. The Justice in Policing Act is our first step toward concrete reforms.

Thank you for your support.

— Mark Warner