H.R. 5361

George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025

Sponsor: Glenn Ivey

136 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025

This bill addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It increases accountability for law enforcement misconduct, restricts the use of certain policing practices, enhances transparency and data collection, and establishes best practices and training requirements.

The bill enhances existing enforcement mechanisms to remedy violations by law enforcement. Among other things, it does the following:

  • lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or reckless—to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution,
  • limits qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer, and
  • grants administrative subpoena power to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in pattern-or-practice investigations.

It establishes a framework to prevent and remedy racial profiling by law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels. It also limits the unnecessary use of force and restricts the use of no-knock warrants, chokeholds, and carotid holds.

The bill creates a national registry—the National Police Misconduct Registry—to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct. It also establishes new reporting requirements, including on the use of force, officer misconduct, and routine policing practices (e.g., stops and searches).

Finally, it directs DOJ to create uniform accreditation standards for law enforcement agencies and requires law enforcement officers to complete training on racial profiling, implicit bias, and the duty to intervene when another officer uses excessive force.

Text of the bill

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Sec. 2. Definitions

In this Act:

(1) Byrne grant program. The term Byrne grant program means any grant program under subpart 1 of part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10151 et seq.), without regard to whether the funds are characterized as being made available under the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Programs, the Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants Program, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, or otherwise.

(2) COPS grant program. The term COPS grant program means the grant program authorized under section 1701 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10381).

(3) Federal law enforcement agency. The term Federal law enforcement agency means any agency of the United States authorized to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of Federal criminal law.

(4) Federal law enforcement officer. The term Federal law enforcement officer has the meaning given the term in section 115 of title 18, United States Code.

(5) Indian Tribe. The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term Indian tribe in section 901 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10251).

(6) Local law enforcement officer. The term local law enforcement officer means any officer, agent, or employee of a State or unit of local government authorized by law or by a government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or investigation of any violation of criminal law.

(7) State. The term State has the meaning given the term in section 901 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10251).

(8) Tribal law enforcement officer. The term tribal law enforcement officer means any officer, agent, or employee of an Indian tribe, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs, authorized by law or by a government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or investigation of any violation of criminal law.

(9) Unit of local government. The term unit of local government has the meaning given the term in section 901 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10251).

(10) Deadly force. The term deadly force means that force which a reasonable person would consider likely to cause death or serious bodily harm, including—

(A) the discharge of a firearm;

(B) a maneuver that restricts blood or oxygen flow to the brain, including chokeholds, strangleholds, neck restraints, neckholds, and carotid artery restraints; and

(C) multiple discharges of an electronic control weapon.

(11) Use of force. The term use of force includes—

(A) the use of a firearm, electronic control weapon, explosive device, chemical agent (such as pepper spray), baton, impact projectile, blunt instrument, hand, fist, foot, canine, or vehicle against an individual;

(B) the use of a weapon, including a personal body weapon, chemical agent, impact weapon, extended range impact weapon, sonic weapon, sensory weapon, conducted energy device, or firearm, against an individual; or

(C) any intentional pointing of a firearm at an individual.

(12) Less lethal force. The term less lethal force means any degree of force that is not likely to cause death or serious bodily injury.

(13) Facial recognition. The term facial recognition means an automated or semiautomated process that analyzes biometric data of an individual from video footage to identify or assist in identifying an individual.

I Police Accountability

A Holding Police Accountable in the Courts

B Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act

II Policing Transparency Through Data

A National Police Misconduct Registry

B PRIDE Act

III Improving Police Training and Policies

A End Racial and Religious Profiling Act

I Prohibition of Racial Profiling

II Programs To Eliminate Racial Profiling By Federal Law Enforcement Agencies

III Programs To Eliminate Racial Profiling By State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies

IV Data Collection

V Department of Justice Regulations and Reports on Racial Profiling in the United States

B Additional Reforms

C Law Enforcement Body Cameras

1 Federal Police Camera and Accountability Act

2 Police CAMERA Act

IV Closing the Law Enforcement Consent Loophole

V Miscellaneous Provisions