ATLANTA – State Representative Sandra Scott (D-Rex) recently introduced a criminal justice reform legislative package during the 2021 legislative session, which will be eligible for consideration during the 2022 legislative session.
“In the wake of the killing of Daunte Wright, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jabril Robinson, Deaundre Phillips and many more Black Americans, we need real criminal justice reform in Georgia,” said Rep. Scott. “The need for this legislation is paramount. We all know that something must be done. Police training must change because we cannot continue on the path where Black lives do not matter to law enforcement. Police need to start treating unarmed Black residents like they treat white people who commit mass murder. For these reasons, I will continue to stand up, speak out, stay woke and create meaningful legislation that would benefit the citizens of House District 76 and all of Georgia.”
House Bill 15 would require police departments to provide de-escalation training to law enforcement officers. House Bill 16 would prohibit law enforcement officers and agencies from possessing military grade weapons or equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense. House Bill 17 would prohibit racial profiling by law enforcement officers and agencies. House Bill 18 would require law enforcement agencies to provide body cameras to on-duty law enforcements officers. House Bill 19 would increase the burden of proof for the government in civil forfeiture proceedings and provide public defenders to Georgians in civil forfeiture proceedings which are a result of criminal cases.
“I recently had the pleasure of participating in a discussion panel with high school students who thought these bills would help them as they move on to college and just allow them to be a teenager while driving, regardless of their race,” added Rep. Scott. “College students from across Georgia have emailed, called and did class projects on some of the legislation because it could have an impact on their life.”
Further, House Bill 35 would provide additional procedures and requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies in order to ensure “ethical policing” in Georgia and set standards for “ethical policing” in Georgia law. It would also authorize local municipalities to create and operate citizen review boards to ensure accountability for ethical police conduct, as well as direct the attorney general to create a form for local agencies to use to record complaints alleging police misconduct and disciplinary actions for such misconduct.
Rep. Scott plans to hold conversations with the public regarding her criminal justice reform bills in the future, and questions regarding the legislation may be directed to Rep. Scott’s Capitol office at 404-656-0314.
For more information on the aforementioned legislation, as well as the other bills introduced by Rep. Scott during the 2021 legislative session, please click here.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes portions of Clayton and Henry counties. She was first elected to the House Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Science and Technology and Special Rules committees.
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