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Soto Votes to Pass George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

March 4, 2021

WASHINTON, D.C. – Last night, on the 30th anniversary of the brutal beating of Rodney King, Congressman Darren Soto(FL-09)voted to pass H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, comprehensive legislation to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, empower communities and build trust between law enforcement and communities by addressing systemic racism and bias.

"Our nation witnessed a historic level of despair and outrage in the wake of the brutal and inhumane murder of George Floyd," said Rep. Soto."As Floridians continue to speak out and demand action to address the crisis of systemic racism and police abuses, the responsibility is on all of us to do our part to create the change this country desperately needs. I join House Democrats in saying that I have listened to my constituents, and I respond by voting to pass the historic George Floyd Justice In Policing Act twice."

The sweeping legislation will take numerous key steps to achieve transformative, structural change to combat the pattern of police abuses and racial injustice, including:

  • Banning all chokeholds;

  • Banning no-knock warrants in drug cases;

  • Ending racial, religious and discriminatory profiling;

  • Eliminating the qualified immunity doctrine that is a barrier to holding police officers accountable for wrongful conduct;

  • Establishing a National Police Misconduct Registry to improve transparency and prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave one agency, from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability;

  • Requiring data collection, including mandatory body cameras and dashboard cameras;

  • Establishing new standards for policing and the Public Safety Innovation grants for community-based organizations to help reimagine policing in their communities;

  • Making lynching a federal hate crime; and more.

"Thanks to the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Justice in Policing Act delivers the reforms needed to address systemic racism and save lives while increasing transparency to ensure police are held accountable. Our nation is built on the fundamental promise of equal justice for all, and we must continue to fight to fulfill that promise for all Americans," said Rep. Soto.

Congressman Soto spokeon the Justice in Policing Act on the House floor and participated in a Black Lives Matter protestin Kissimmee last June.

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