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Federal policy on crime and justice, 2017-2020

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President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at reducing crime, improving public safety and reducing recidivism rates. He also signed a bill to make it easier for victims of online sex trafficking to take legal action against websites for facilitating the crime.

This page tracks major events and policy positions of the Trump administration and the 115th United States Congress and 116th United States Congress on crime and justice Think something is missing? Please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Click on the timeline below to learn more about each headline.

June 25, 2020: House passes Justice in Policing Act

See also: Changes to policing policy in the states and 100 largest cities, 2020

On June 25, 2020, the House passed HR 7120—the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020—by a vote of 236-181. Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Will Hurd (R-Texas), and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) joined all 233 Democrats to vote in favor of the bill. One hundred and eighty Republicans and Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich.) voted against the bill.[1][2]

The bill proposed the following:[1]

  • Banning chokeholds at the federal level;
  • Banning no-knock warrants at the federal level;
  • Limiting qualified immunity as a defense for law enforcement officers;
  • Lowering "the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or reckless—to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution;"
  • Requiring states to "report data on use-of-force incidents;"
  • Requiring officers to have implicit bias and racial profiling training;
  • Making lynching a federal crime;
  • Limiting the transfer of military equipment to local police departments; and
  • Requiring officers to wear body cameras.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-Calif.), the bill's sponsor, praised the passage of the bill, saying, "Today’s bipartisan passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in the House is not just a victory for the Congressional Black Caucus and its founding members who first championed legislation to address the issue of police brutality. This is a victory for our entire country. For far too long, Black Americans have endured systemic racism and discrimination—especially from police. Congress may have written this bill, but the people own it. Now that this historic bill has passed the House, we call upon our colleagues in the Senate to commit to a good faith negotiation on the provisions put forward by the House in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act."[3]

The bill was unlikely to be considered, according to Vox.[4]

President Donald Trump said that he opposed the bill. He added, "They want to take away a lot of the strength from our police and from law enforcement generally, and we can’t live with it. We can’t live with it."[4]

The Senate's version of the policing bill did not move forward after a motion to begin debate was voted down on June 24, 2020.

June 24, 2020: Senate motion to begin debate on Justice Act fails

See also: Changes to policing policy in the states and 100 largest cities, 2020

On June 24, 2020, a motion to begin debate on a GOP policing bill introduced by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) failed 55-45. Sixty votes were needed to begin debate on S 3985—the Justice Act. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), and Angus King (I-Maine) voted to begin debate with all Republicans, with the exception of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who voted against it for procedural reasons to bring the bill up for debate a second time.[5][6]

The Justice Act proposed awarding federal grants to state and local police departments that banned the use of chokeholds, reported data about uses of force and no-knock warrants, required officers to wear body cameras, and trained officers to de-escalate situations. Additionally, the bill proposed making lynching a federal crime, increasing penalties for false police reports, increasing access to police records for hiring decisions, and increasing minority hiring. It also proposed creating a commission to investigate issues facing Black men and boys, and a commission to review the U.S. criminal justice system.[5][7]

Senate Democrats voted against the bill because "they said did not go far enough to address racial inequality," according to NPR.<ref name=janpr>[https://www.npr.org/2020/06/24/882530458/democrats-vow-to-block-gop-police-reform-bill-un

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Congres.gov, "H.R.7120 - George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020," accessed June 26, 2020
  2. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 119," June 25, 2020
  3. ↑ Rep. Karen Bass, "House Passes George Floyd Justice In Policing Act," June 25, 2020
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Vox, "The House just passed a sweeping police reform bill," June 25, 2020
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Congress.gov "S 3985—the Justice Act," accessed June 25, 2020
  6. ↑ Senate.gov "On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to S. 3985)," June 24, 2020
  7. ↑ Senator Tim Scott, "JUSTICE Act (Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere)," accessed June 25, 2020
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