This week the House of Representatives will again vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would impose new federal standards and mandates on local police forces. In a new update, AAF’s Director of Human Welfare Policy Tara O’Neill Hayes assesses the bill and considers other options for police reform.

Her central points:

• While the House of Representatives is set to vote again on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, it is unlikely to become law at this point despite bipartisan support for police reform;
• Republicans introduced their own police reform bill last year, the JUSTICE Act, that has many similar provisions but also contains significant differences; and
• While federal legislation is likely to continue to stall, state and local governments can independently implement changes in how they respond to certain emergency situations, using methods that can decrease the likelihood of interacting with police and improve the wellbeing of at-risk individuals.

Read the update.