Establishing a "Bill of Rights" to support United States law enforcement personnel nationwide in their work to protect our communities.

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 283 Establishing a ‘‘Bill of Rights’’ to support United States law enforcement personnel nationwide in their work to protect our communities. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 26, 2021 Mr. ZELDIN (for himself, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. KELLY of Penn- sylvania, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. GARBARINO, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania, Mr. GOOD of Virginia, Ms. HERRELL, and Mr. STEUBE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Establishing a ‘‘Bill of Rights’’ to support United States law enforcement personnel nationwide in their work to protect our communities. Whereas calls to ‘‘defund’’, ‘‘disband’’, ‘‘dismantle’’, or ‘‘abol- ish’’ the police should be condemned and rule of law should be strictly maintained; Whereas law enforcement officers take an oath to never be- tray the public trust; Whereas in the course of investigations into officers who have allegedly exhibited misconduct, law enforcement should have certain rights to ensure a fair administration of jus- tice, including— VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR283.IH HR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 283 IH (1) a law enforcement officer’s inherent right to self- defense against physical threats; (2) a law enforcement officer’s right to legal re- course if a civilian attempts to assault the law enforce- ment officer; (3) a law enforcement officer’s right to be protected from physical harassment targeting a law enforcement of- ficer; (4) a law enforcement officer’s right to equipment necessary for personal protection; (5) a law enforcement officer’s right to counsel and a union representative present at any interview conducted as part of an investigation; (6) a law enforcement officer’s right to be informed of the nature of the investigation before any interview commences, including the name of the complainant and sufficient information to reasonably apprise the officer of the allegations; (7) during questioning in the course of an investiga- tion a law enforcement officer’s right— (A) to not be subjected to any offensive lan- guage; (B) to not be threatened with departmental, civil, or criminal charges; and (C) to not receive financial or promotional in- ducement; (8) a law enforcement officer’s right to a hearing, with notification in advance of the date, access to tran- scripts, other relevant documents, and evidence; (9) a law enforcement officer’s right to have the op- portunity to respond to adverse accusations; and (10) a law enforcement officer’s right to not be dis- ciplined for exercising a Fifth Amendment right to re- VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR283.IH HR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 283 IH main silent unless granted immunity that such state- ments will not be used against the officer in any criminal proceeding; Whereas in order to ensure these investigations are conducted in a manner that protects the public, respects the rights of law enforcement personnel, and is conducive to good order and discipline; Whereas States across the country are encouraged to adopt a ‘‘Bill of Rights’’ for law enforcement personnel for pro- tections related to investigation and prosecution arising from conduct during official performance of duties; Whereas the law enforcement community protects our streets, acknowledges the rights of all Americans, and keeps citi- zens safe from harm; Whereas law enforcement officers are recognized for their public service to all, knowing they face extremely dan- gerous situations while carrying out their duties; and Whereas a healthy and collaborative relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve is essential to creating mutually respectful dialogue: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) recognizes all law enforcement agencies and 2 officers for their tireless work to protect us and 3 make our communities safer; 4 (2) condemns calls to ‘‘defund’’, ‘‘disband’’, 5 ‘‘dismantle’’, or ‘‘abolish’’ the police; 6 (3) encourages dialogue between law enforce- 7 ment and their respective communities to improve 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR283.IH HR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 283 IH public safety, and engage all of society’s stake- 1 holders; and 2 (4) respects the rights of police officers to carry 3 out their duties to protect our communities with in- 4 tegrity and have essential protections during the 5 course of investigations. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR283.IH HR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS