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[House Report 115-672]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

115th Congress   }                                    {        Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session      }                                    {       115-672

======================================================================

 
                     PROTECT AND SERVE ACT OF 2018

                                _______
                                

  May 11, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Goodlatte, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                             MINORITY VIEWS

                        [To accompany H.R. 5698]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 5698) to amend title 18, United States Code, to 
punish criminal offenses targeting law enforcement officers, 
and for other purposes, having considered the same, report 
favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill 
do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     2
Background and Need for the Legislation..........................     2
Hearings.........................................................     3
Committee Consideration..........................................     3
Committee Votes..................................................     3
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     3
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................     3
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................     3
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................     4
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings..............................     4
Performance Goals and Objectives.................................     4
Advisory on Earmarks.............................................     5
Section-by-Section Analysis......................................     5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     5
Minority Views...................................................     7

                          Purpose and Summary

    H.R. 5698 creates a new statute in title 18, United States 
Code, to allow for federal prosecution of defendants who 
knowingly cause or attempt to cause serious bodily injury to 
any law enforcement officer. In order to qualify for federal 
prosecution, the victim must either be a federal law 
enforcement officer, or, if a state or local officer, there 
must be a nexus to interstate commerce. A prosecution may only 
be pursued if the Attorney General certifies (1) the State does 
not have jurisdiction; (2) the State has requested that the 
Federal Government assume jurisdiction; (3) the verdict or 
sentence obtained pursuant to State charges left 
demonstratively unvindicated the Federal interest in protecting 
the public safety; or (4) a prosecution by the United States is 
in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial 
justice.

                Background and Need for the Legislation

    Police agencies in the United States are currently facing a 
crisis resulting from a spate of high-profile use of force 
incidents. As a result, police officers are facing increasing 
levels of hostility and violence, fueled by growing anti-police 
sentiment. In the aftermath of the August 2014 events in 
Ferguson, Missouri, there has been an increase in ambush-style 
attacks on police officers.
    On July 7, 2016, Micah Xavier Johnson ambushed and fired 
upon a group of police officers in Dallas, Texas, killing five 
officers and injuring nine others. Two civilians were also 
wounded. Johnson was an Army Reserve Afghan War veteran, who 
was reportedly angry over police shootings of black men and 
stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white 
police officers. The shooting happened at the end of a protest 
against police killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, 
Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, 
which had occurred in the preceding days. The shooting was the 
deadliest incident for U.S. law enforcement since the September 
11 attacks, surpassing two related March 2009 shootings in 
Oakland, California, an April 2009 shooting of Pittsburgh 
police officers, and a November 2009 ambush shooting in 
Lakewood, Washington.
    Only ten days after the Dallas ambush shooting, on July 17, 
2016, Gavin Eugene Long shot six police officers in Baton 
Rouge, Louisiana, in the wake of the shooting of Alton 
Sterling. Three officers died and three were hospitalized, one 
critically. Long, who associated himself with organizations 
linked to black separatism and the sovereign citizen movement, 
was shot and killed by a SWAT officer during a shootout with 
police at the scene.
    Despite great efforts to rebuild trust over the past 
several years between police departments and the communities 
they serve, in 2017 alone, 64 police officers died in the line 
of duty and 21 in ambush style attacks. Only a few weeks ago, 
on April 19, 2018, two sheriffs' deputies were gunned down 
while eating at a Chinese food restaurant in a suspected ambush 
in Gainesville, Florida. These types of ambushes not only 
strike fear into law enforcement officers, who already put 
their lives on the line each day, but they also further 
undermine police-community relations.
    Ambush style attacks on police show no indication of 
slowing down. H.R. 5698 is intended to deter these horrific 
crimes.

                                Hearings

    The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R. 
5698. However, the Committee has held hearings on the subject 
of police targeting generally, including on May 17, 2017, and 
has examined this subject as part of its Policing Strategies 
Working Group.

                        Committee Consideration

    On May 9, 2018, the Committee met in open session and 
ordered the bill (H.R. 5698) favorably reported, without 
amendment, by voice vote, a quorum being present.

                            Committee Votes

    In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there 
were no recorded votes during the Committee's consideration of 
H.R. 5698.

                      Committee Oversight Findings

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the 
findings and recommendations of the Committee, based on 
oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the 
descriptive portions of this report.

               New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures

    Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does 
not provide new budgetary authority or increased tax 
expenditures.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with 
respect to H.R. 5698, the following estimate and comparison 
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, May 10, 2018.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5698, the Protect 
and Serve Act of 2018.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark 
Grabowicz.
            Sincerely,
                                                        Keith Hall.

    Enclosure.
cc:
        Honorable Jerrold Nadler
        Ranking Member

                H.R. 5698--Protect and Serve Act of 2018

 As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on May 9, 
                                 2018.

    H.R. 5698 would make attacking a law enforcement officer, 
under certain circumstances (for example, during interstate 
travel by the offender or the victim), a federal crime. As a 
result, the government could pursue some cases that it 
otherwise may not be able to prosecute. CBO expects that the 
bill would apply to a relatively small number of offenders, 
however, so any increase in costs for law enforcement, court 
proceedings, or prison operations would not be significant. Any 
such spending would be subject to the availability of 
appropriated funds.
    Because people prosecuted and convicted under H.R. 5698 
could be subject to criminal fines, the federal government 
might collect additional amounts under the bill. Criminal fines 
are recorded as revenues, deposited in the Crime Victims Fund, 
and later spent without further appropriation action. CBO 
expects that any additional revenues and associated direct 
spending would not be significant because the bill would 
probably affect a small number of cases.
    Pay-as-you-go procedures apply because enacting H.R. 5698 
would affect direct spending and revenues. However, CBO 
estimates that any such effects would be insignificant in any 
year.
    CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5698 would not increase 
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four 
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
    H.R. 5698 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. 
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    Duplication of Federal Programs

    No provision of H.R. 5698 establishes or reauthorizes a 
program of the Federal government known to be duplicative of 
another Federal program, a program that was included in any 
report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program 
related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance.

                  Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings

    The Committee finds that H.R. 5698 contains no directed 
rule making within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. Sec. 551.

                    Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee states that H.R. 5698 
protects Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement 
officers from targeted ``ambush'' attacks, by creating a new 
statute penalizing such activity.

                          Advisory on Earmarks

    In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, H.R. 5698 does not contain any 
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

    Section 1. Short Title. Section 1 cites the short title of 
this Act as the ``Protect and Serve Act of 2018.''
    Sec. 2. Crimes Targeting Law Enforcement Officers. This 
section amends Chapter 7 of title 18 of the United States Code 
by creating Sec. 120, a new statute to prosecute individuals 
who knowingly cause, or attempt to cause, serious bodily injury 
or death to a law enforcement officer.
    This section creates a statutory maximum penalty of 10 
years and/or a fine for assault on officers that does not 
include the killing, intent to kill, kidnapping, or attempt to 
kidnap. For crimes under that do include the killing, intent to 
kill, kidnapping, or attempt to kidnap of an officer, Sec. 120 
allows for imprisonment of any term of years (including life 
sentences), and/or a fine.
    Prosecution under the new Sec. 120 would be allowed in all 
cases involving Federal law enforcement officers. For non-
Federal officers, prosecution would be allowed under this 
provision in cases involving interstate travel and/or commerce 
across State or national borders.
    Additionally, prosecution under this new statute would 
require the Attorney General to certify (1) the State does not 
have jurisdiction; (2) the State has requested that the Federal 
Government assume jurisdiction; (3) the verdict or sentence 
obtained pursuant to State charges left demonstratively 
unvindicated the Federal interest in protecting the public 
safety; or (4) a prosecution by the United States is in the 
public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice.
    This section also includes a rule of construction, 
clarifying that nothing in this bill shall be construed to 
limit the authority of Federal officers, or a Federal grand 
jury, to investigate possible violations of Sec. 120.
    This section defines ``law enforcement officer'' as any 
governmental or public agency employee who is ``authorized by 
law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, 
investigation, or the incarceration of any person for any 
criminal violation of the law; and to apprehend or arrest a 
person for any criminal violation of the law.'' It defines 
``State'' as a State of the United States, the District of 
Columbia, or any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 
United States.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

PART I--CRIMES

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                           CHAPTER 7--ASSAULT

Sec.
111. Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.
     * * * * * * *
120. Crimes targeting law enforcement officers.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

Sec. 120. Crimes targeting law enforcement officers

  (a) In General.--Whoever, in any circumstance described in 
subsection (b), knowingly causes serious bodily injury to a law 
enforcement officer, or attempts to do so--
          (1) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined 
        in accordance with this title, or both; and
          (2) shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for 
        life, fined in accordance with this title, or both, 
        if--
                  (A) death results from the offense; or
                  (B) the offense includes kidnapping or an 
                attempt to kidnap, or an attempt to kill.
  (b) Circumstances Described.--For purposes of subsection (a), 
the circumstances described in this subparagraph are that--
          (1) the conduct described in subsection (a) occurs 
        during the course of, or as the result of, the travel 
        of the defendant or the victim--
                  (A) across a State line or national border; 
                or
                  (B) using a channel, facility, or 
                instrumentality of interstate or foreign 
                commerce;
          (2) the defendant uses a channel, facility, or 
        instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in 
        connection with the conduct described in subsection 
        (a);
          (3) in connection with the conduct described in 
        subsection (a), the defendant employs a firearm, 
        dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device, or 
        other weapon that has traveled in interstate or foreign 
        commerce;
          (4) the conduct described in subsection (a)--
                  (A) interferes with commercial or other 
                economic activity in which the victim is 
                engaged at the time of the conduct; or
                  (B) otherwise affects interstate or foreign 
                commerce; or
          (5) the victim is a Federal law enforcement officer.
  (c) Certification Requirement.--
          (1) In general.--No prosecution of any offense 
        described in this section may be undertaken by the 
        United States, except under the certification in 
        writing of the Attorney General, or a designee, that--
                  (A) the State does not have jurisdiction;
                  (B) the State has requested that the Federal 
                Government assume jurisdiction;
                  (C) the verdict or sentence obtained pursuant 
                to State charges left demonstratively 
                unvindicated the Federal interest in protecting 
                the public safety; or
                  (D) a prosecution by the United States is in 
                the public interest and necessary to secure 
                substantial justice.
          (2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
        shall be construed to limit the authority of Federal 
        officers, or a Federal grand jury, to investigate 
        possible violations of this section.
  (d) Definitions.--In this section:
          (1) Law enforcement officer.--The term ``law 
        enforcement officer'' means an employee of a 
        governmental or public agency who is authorized by 
        law--
                  (A) to engage in or supervise the prevention, 
                detention, investigation, or the incarceration 
                of any person for any criminal violation of 
                law; and
                  (B) to apprehend or arrest a person for any 
                criminal violation of law.
          (2) State.--The term ``State'' means a State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, or any 
        commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United 
        States.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                             Minority Views

    H.R. 5698 the ``Protect and Serve Act,'' would create a new 
offense under title 18 of the U.S. Code for the crime of 
targeting law enforcement officers. Violations of this 
provision could result in up to life imprisonment for acts 
involving kidnapping, rape or death. H.R. 5698 was introduced 
by Representative John Rutherford (R-FL) only one day before 
being considered by the Committee and no hearings have been 
held on this legislation or the issue of expanding federal 
police protections.\1\ Nonetheless, even a cursory analysis 
indicates that the bill duplicates and seeks to further expand 
the large number of already existing criminal statutes 
protecting law enforcement officers.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\In conjunction with 2017 Police Week, the Committee passed H.R. 
115, the ``Thin Blue Line Act,'' which similarly sought to multiply 
federal police protections, but additionally invoked the death penalty. 
Rather than creating a new offense under title 18, the Thin Blue Line 
Act created an additional aggravating factor under existing federal 
law, 18 U.S.C Sec. 3592, for killing a first responder in the course of 
their official duties. H.R. 115 was reported favorably by the Judiciary 
Committee by a vote of 19 to 12. It passed the House by a vote of 271 
to 143 on May 18, 2017. The Senate has yet to consider that bill.
    \2\Subsection (c) of new section 120 provides that no federal 
prosecution may be undertaken without written certification by the 
Attorney General or designee stating that a state lacks jurisdiction; 
the state has requested the federal government to assume jurisdiction; 
the verdict or sentence obtained pursuant to state charges left 
demonstratively unvindicated the federal interest in protection the 
public safety; or prosecution by the federal government is in the 
public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice. The 
inclusion of this ``certification requirement'' acknowledges that 
states carry primary jurisdiction for attacks on state and local police 
officers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While rooted in laudable goals, this legislation does not 
actually strengthen protections for law enforcement officers 
and it fails to make meaningful reforms that would improve 
police-community relations. Therefore, we believe that the bill 
represents a wasted opportunity to address serious issues of 
police accountability and the need to build trust between 
police departments and the communities that they serve. In 
recognition of these concerns, organizations committed to the 
protection of civil rights and civil liberties have written 
letters in opposition, particularly noting that the Protect and 
Serve Act, ``is divisive and will have a negative impact on the 
relationship between law enforcement and the communities they 
serve.''\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\See Letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) & Ranking Member 
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) from the Coalition Opposition to the Protect and 
Serve Act (May 8, 2018) (signed by 15 organizations, including the 
ACLU, NAACP, Human Rights Watch, National Association of Criminal 
Defense Lawyers, NAACP Defense and Education Fund, Leadership 
Conference of Civil and Human Right, and additional faith 
organizations).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    For these reasons and those discussed below, we 
respectfully urge our colleagues to carefully consider the 
wisdom of moving this legislation and warn of the danger of a 
potentially divisive debate on the issue of relative 
victimization between police and civilian law enforcement 
encounters.

 I. H.R. 5698 DUPLICATES FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS THAT ENHANCE SENTENCES 
  OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF CRIMES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT 
                               OFFICERS.

    There is no question that policing is both difficult and 
dangerous, exacting a serious physical and mental toll on law 
enforcement officers. A white paper commissioned by the 
Ruderman Family Foundation reported that 129 police officers 
died in the line of duty in 2017 from shootings and vehicle 
accidents, with an additional 140 reported officer suicides.\4\ 
In the past ten years, the number of officers feloniously 
killed has fluctuated, yet not significantly increased or 
decreased,\5\ as have ambush-style killings of officers.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \4\See Ruderman Family Foundation, Ruderman White Paper on Mental 
Health and Suicide of First Responders, at 20 (Apr. 2018), available at 
https://rudermanfoundation.org/white_papers/police-officers-and-
firefighters-are-more-likely-to-die-by-suicide-than-in-line-of-duty.
    \5\Between 2007 and 2016, the FBI reported that the number of 
officers feloniously killed in the U.S. was 58, 41, 48, 56, 72, 49, 27, 
51, 41, and 66 for each year, respectively. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2016 
Law Enforcement Officers Killed & Assaulted, https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/
2016/officers-feloniously-killed/tables/table-2.xls. In 2017, 44 
officers were killed in a fire-arm related incident. Law Enforcement 
Officers Memorial Fund, Preliminary 2017 Law Enforcement Officer 
Fatalities Report, http://www.nleomf.org/assets/pdfs/reports/fatality-
reports/2017/2017-End-of-Year-Officer-Fatalities-Report_FINAL.pdf.
    \6\Between 2007 and 2016, the number of officers killed in ambush 
situations were 16, 6, 15, 15, 15, 6, 5, 7, 4, and 17, for each year, 
respectively. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2016 Law Enforcement Officers 
Killed & Assaulted, https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2016/officers-
feloniously-killed/tables/table-2.xls. In 2017, 8 officers were killed 
in an ambush-style attack. Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 
Preliminary 2017 Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report, http://
www.nleomf.org/assets/pdfs/reports/fatality-reports/2017/2017-End-of-
Year-Officer-Fatalities-Report_FINAL.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As a result of the dangers inherent to policing, there is 
no profession more widely protected under federal and state law 
than police officers. All 50 states have laws in place that 
enhance penalties for crimes against peace officers, and in 
some instances, crimes against a broadly defined category of 
first responders.\7\ For example, in Colorado, a person 
convicted of killing a peace officer, firefighter or emergency 
medical service provider may be sentenced to life without the 
possibility of parole or sentenced to death.\8\ In addition, 
federal laws already impose a life sentence or even death on 
persons convicted of killing state and local law enforcement 
officers or other employees assisting with federal 
investigations,\9\ as well as officers of the U.S. courts.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \7\See Anti-Defamation League, Statutes Providing Enhanced 
Penalties for Crimes Against Police, Fifty States Against Hate, 
Washington, DC (2016).
    \8\Colo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 18-3-107 (2014).
    \9\18 U.S.C. Sec. 1121(a)(1) (1996).
    \10\18 U.S.C. Sec. 1503 (1996).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Further, there is no evidence that crimes against law 
enforcement go unprosecuted or are otherwise treated 
frivolously. There is similarly no record to suggest that 
prosecutors are unwilling or unable to charge individuals with 
crimes against law enforcement. In fact, crimes against police 
officers are treated as among the most heinous criminal acts 
and accorded a high degree of culpability and punishment.

II. THE PROTECT AND SERVE ACT IS POLARIZING AND HARMS COMMUNITY-POLICE 
                               RELATIONS.

    While attacks on law enforcement officials raise legitimate 
concerns, the duplication of existing law by H.R. 5698 may 
serve to politicize the unfortunate deaths of law enforcement 
officers and ultimately exacerbate existing tension between law 
enforcement and the communities they serve. The Protect and 
Serve Act is being contemplated at a time when our country is 
in the throes of a national policing crisis, with a never-
ending stream of police shootings of unarmed African Americans 
captured on video. Creating a new, yet superfluous, crime for 
offenses committed against law enforcement is a particularly 
disconnected and non-responsive policy choice.
    Unfortunately, the Protect and Serve Act is similar to 
other ``Blue Lives Matter'' type bills that create new criminal 
offenses and penalty enhancements for crimes against police. 
Collectively, these policy efforts, which have sprung up in 
state legislatures amid the national call for police 
accountability, appear to be a political response to the 
powerful activism of grassroots movements that demand fair and 
constitutional policing. Rather than focusing on policies that 
address issues of police excessive force, biased policing, and 
other police practices that have failed these communities, the 
aim of H.R. 5698 and similar legislation is to further 
criminalize. This bill risks being received as yet another 
attack on these communities and threatens to exacerbate what is 
already a discriminatory system of mass incarceration in this 
country. Continuing to undermine police-community relations in 
this manner sows seeds of division, which ultimately threatens 
public safety and undermines the work of law enforcement.

                               CONCLUSION

    H.R. 5698 will be considered on the House Floor during the 
annual Police Week activities in Washington, DC. Rather than 
advancing legislation that amounts to an empty gesture, the 
House should focus on real reform measures that will protect 
law enforcement, first responders, and the communities they 
serve. Over the years, well-documented, unconstitutional 
policing practices in communities of color across the United 
States have eroded trust between these communities and the law 
enforcement officials sworn to protect them.\11\ Almost 1,000 
people were killed by police in 2017 according to the The 
Washington Post.\12\ Another media outlet estimates there were 
more than 1,100 police-related fatalities last year,\13\ with 
people of color representing more than 50 percent of those 
unarmed during fatal encounters with police.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \11\See, e.g., U.S. Dep't of Justice Civil Rights Division, 
Investigation of the Baltimore City Police Department (Aug. 10, 2016), 
available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/883366/download.
    \12\John Sullivan et al., Nationwide, Police Shot and Killed Nearly 
1,000 People in 2017, Wash. Post, Jan. 6, 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/
investigations/nationwide-police-shot-and-killed-nearly-1000-people-in-
2017/2018/01/04/4eed5f34-e4e9-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_ 
story.html?utm_term=.ad27040e9c69.
    \13\Michael Harriot, Here's how many people police killed in 2017, 
The Root, Jan. 2, 2017, available at https://www.theroot.com/heres-how-
many-people-police-killed-in-2017-1821706614.
    \14\Mapping Police Violence, 2017 Police Violence Report, last 
visited Apr. 6, 2018, available at https://policeviolencereport.org/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Despite this growing record of officer-involved shootings 
and the impact of video evidence on public perceptions, the 
Committee has yet to act on legislation that would address 
policing standards, particularly use of force practices. In 
fact, in the two years since the creation of the Judiciary 
Committee Policing Strategies Working Group, the Majority has 
advanced no police reform legislation, but continues to advance 
legislation, like H.R. 5698, creating a perception of bias 
against community-based policing concerns. Americans would be 
better served if the Committee worked to foster law enforcement 
reforms aimed at helping local jurisdictions meet their 
constitutional obligation of fair and unbiased policing. 
Pursuing the one- sided view of reform contained in H.R. 5698 
sends a problematic signal and raises tensions in an already 
heated climate of community policing.
                                   Mr. Nadler.
                                   Ms. Lofgren.
                                   Ms. Jackson Lee.
                                   Mr. Cohen.
                                   Mr. Johnson, Jr.
                                   Mr. Richmond.
                                   Mr. Cicilline.
                                   Ms. Jayapal.

                                  [all]
```