Portman Announces Support for JUSTICE Act

 WASHINGTON, DC —Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced his support for Senator Tim Scott’s (R-SC) Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act. The JUSTICE Act builds on the success of the First Step Act to strengthen the training methods and tactics throughout law enforcement jurisdictions, especially regarding de-escalation of force, the use of force, and the duty to intervene; improve the collection of data on violence by and against law enforcement; provide funding to increase the use of body cameras; reform hiring practices by providing more resources to ensure the makeup of police departments more closely matches the communities they serve; increase accountability and transparency; and make lynching a federal crime. The bill also includes the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act, of which Portman is a co-sponsor. This new commission would issue a wide-ranging report on conditions affecting black men and boys, including education, health care, financial status, and the criminal justice system as a whole. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has announced that the Senate will consider this legislation on the Senate floor next week. Portman released the following statement:  

“America is hurting. In the midst of an unprecedented health care and economic crisis that is disproportionately affecting our minority communities, we’ve seen egregious examples of injustice and violence against African-Americans. I’ve made it clear that what happened to these Americans is outrageous and unacceptable. As I’ve said consistently, we need to work together to find solutions that promote stronger communities that treat each other with dignity and respect. The JUSTICE Act is an important step in that direction by helping to improve the collection of data on violence by and against law enforcement, provide funding to increase the use of body cameras, increase transparency and accountability while strengthening and reforming police training methods and hiring practices. I applaud Senator Scott for drafting this legislation and Leader McConnell for announcing the Senate will consider this bill next week. I look forward to a robust debate and hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation.” 

The JUSTICE Act will: 

• Strengthen the training methods and tactics throughout law enforcement jurisdictions, especially regarding de-escalation of force and the duty to intervene by providing law enforcement with new funding to do so;
• Incentivizes ending the practice of utilizing chokeholds by withholding funding from law enforcement departments that utilize them;
• Reform hiring practices by providing more resources to ensure the makeup of police departments more closely matches the communities they serve by ensuring that when a candidate is interviewed, the department looking to hire will have access to their prior disciplinary records;
• Provides $500 million for body cameras and ensures that departments are both using the cameras and storing their data properly;
• Require a report establishing best practices for the hiring, firing, suspension, and discipline of law enforcement officers;
• Requires full reporting and transparency of incidents where use of force by law enforcement causes death or serious injury as well as any event where law enforcement officers are shot at or are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty;
• Requires reporting on where and why no knock warrants are used;
• Makes lynching a federal crime; and
• Creates two commissions to study and offer solutions to a broader range of challenges facing black men and boys, and the criminal justice system as a whole.

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