House passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in party-line vote

The House voted along party lines Wednesday to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a Democrat-backed bill that seeks to enact sweeping police reform following Floyd’s death during an encounter with police in Minneapolis last May.

Championed by civil rights groups, the wide-ranging bill would overhaul standards for police tactics and conduct at the federal level. Prominent measures include a federal ban on no-knock warrants and chokeholds, limits on qualified immunity shielding police from civil lawsuits, a framework to prevent racial profiling and the establishment of a national registry on allegations of police misconduct.

The bill passed by in a 220-212 vote. Texas Rep. Lance Gooden was the lone Republican to vote in favor of the bill, while two Democrats voted against it.