Federal Legislation in the Works: Worth Knowing

Congress has been debating a number of issues that could have a significant impact on Nevadans.  Understanding the impetus behind these bills and the potential outcomes may lead some to consider activism based on perceived impacts.

• R. 7120: The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 was introduced into legislation by Re. Karen Bass (D) in an attempt to make law enforcement more accountable through the courts.  By analyzing data, increasing transparency, and overhauling policy and training, it is hoped that observable changes will occur with regard to police interactions with the public. Specifically, the bill addresses the following:
  • A ban on chokeholds;
  • A ban on no-knock warrants;
  • The termination of profiling based on race, religion, etc.;
  • Ending qualified immunity for police officers who are guilty of misconduct;
  • Launching a National Police Misconduct Registry to document issues;
  • Creating national standards related to the use of deadly force and stipulating that police grants are contingent on the acceptance of those standards;
  • Providing grants for organizations interested in improving policing in local communities.
• R. 7252: The Promoting Fair and Effective Policing Through Research Act is aimed at examining current practice and policy in law enforcement in order to determine what leads to the use of excessive force, what the immediate and long-term consequences of it are, and what strategies and policies could be implemented to mitigate it.
• R. 3884: Rep. Jerry Nadler (D) sponsored this legislation aimed at decriminalizing cannabis across the nation.  The bill would also deschedule the drug, and invest profits from cannabis into those who’ve suffered the impacts of the War on Drugs.  Stakeholders who support the measure hope to see a huge impact on research and medical use of cannabis, expungement policies related to low-level cannabis convictions, and significant entrepreneurship around cannabis.  Nonetheless, the bill’s success of passing is rated at only 2 percent presently.
• 2163: This Bill was signed into law in August 2020, and created a Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys.  The commission is charged with recommending policies to target social issues that affect Black males. Senator Marco Rubio (R) sponsored the legislation with the hopes of improving opportunities, and ultimately economic prosperity, for people of color by targeting disparities encountered by Black males in areas ranging from education and criminal justice to health, fatherhood, and violence.

Fighting for Your Rights 

At Lobo Law, we fight for the rights of the Las Vegas public every day.  While many legislators work to enact legislation to benefit the public, oftentimes said legislation has a difficult time making it into law. When people feel strongly about the ideas being discussed by lawmakers, they can influence lawmakers by contacting them, or by joining in protests. Here at Lobo Law, our Las Vegas criminal lawyers support your efforts to speak out.  If you are constrained from doing so by law enforcement, contact us to advocate for you.

Resources:

rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=69F91ACC-64E5-4F1A-88F5-7301C1712443

govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr3884

https://www.lvcriminallawfirm.com/mass-incarceration-the-civil-rights-issue-of-our-time/