VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act

Summary

VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act This bill updates the staffing and responsibilities of police forces of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill requires the VA to ensure that each of its police forces designates an employee to serve as a point of contact for its employees and the public regarding (1) statistical information (e.g., the use of force and weapons discharge), (2) complaints and investigations regarding officers at the facility, and (3) the provision of information to a person regarding personal arrest or other police matters. The bill also requires the VA to provide information on the public websites of police facilities regarding specified statistical information and directions on how to contact the point of contact or receive information about specific matters. The VA must provide annual training on (1) recognizing, defining, understanding, and avoiding racial profiling and implicit bias and best practices regarding the duty to intervene; and (2) preventing suicide among the population served by police officers. Finally, the bill requires VA police officers to wear body cameras that have a field of view at least as broad as the officers' vision and capture footage of the officers' activities. The audio and video of the camera must be activated whenever an officer is responding to a call for service or other stop, except in situations where it is impossible or dangerous for the officer to do so. The VA's guidance on body cameras must be made publicly available.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 24 July 2020

   Introduced

   Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 24 July 2020

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 24 July 2020

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 10 September 2020

   Committee

   Committee Hearings Held.

   Source: Committee

5. 6 October 2020

   Referred

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in House · 24 July 2020 · Official file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 24 July 2020

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 24 July 2020

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 24 July 2020

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Kathleen Rice · D · Sponsor
• Chris Pappas · D · Sponsor
• · hsvr00 · Standing

Related records

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