The drafting of the legislation was preceded by killings of Black Americans by white police officers in 2020, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as many others including Tony McDade, Natasha McKenna, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Elijah McClain, Pearlie Golden, Kayla Moore, Freddie Gray, Atatiana Jefferson, and Oscar Grant. The bill was unveiled on July 7, 2020 as protests and uprisings against police brutality were happening throughout the country.