Signed by Governor Ralph Northam

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that prohibits law-enforcement from engaging in bias-based profiling and establishes the Community Policing Reporting Database, among other provisions.

Highlights:

• Requires the department to periodically access the Community Policing Reporting Database maintained by the Department of State Police for the purpose of analyzing the data to determine the existence of and prevalence of the practice of bias-based profiling and the prevalence of complaints alleging excessive force (Article 14, Sec. 9.1).

• Requires the director of the department to report its findings and recommendations from analyzing and interpreting the data from the Community Police Reporting Database to the Governor, General Assembly, and Attorney General by July 1, 2021, and each July 1 thereafter (Article 14, Sec. 9.1).

• Authorizes the police force of every locality to collect data pertaining to a motor vehicle or investigatory stop, and to report such data to the Department of State Police for inclusion in the Community Policing Reporting Database (Article 14, Sec. 15.2).

• Prohibits all sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, and law enforcement officers from engaging in bias-based profiling in the performance of their official duties (Article 14, Sec. 15.2).

• Specifies that every time a law enforcement officer, or State Police officer stops a driver of a motor vehicle, the officer will collect the following data based on their observation or from information provided, including (Ch. 6.1, Sec. 52):

• The race, ethnicity, and gender of the individual stopped;

• The reason for the stop;

• Whether a warning, written citation, or summons was issued or whether the individual was arrested; and

• Whether the vehicle or any individual was searched.

• Authorizes State Police officers to collect data pertaining to a motor vehicle or investigatory stop and to report such data to their commanding officers, who will be required to forward it to the Superintendent of State Police (Ch. 6.1, Sec. 52).

• Defines “bias-based profiling” as actions of law enforcement officers that are based solely on the real or perceived race, ethnicity, age, gender, or any combination thereof, or other noncriminal characteristics of an individual, except in the when such characteristics are used in combination with other identifying factors in seeking to apprehend a suspect who matches a specific description (Ch. 6.1, Sec. 52).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that prohibits law-enforcement from engaging in bias-based profiling and establishes the Community Policing Reporting Database, among other provisions.

Highlights:

• Requires the department to periodically access the Community Policing Reporting Database maintained by the Department of State Police for the purpose of analyzing the data to determine the existence of and prevalence of the practice of bias-based profiling and the prevalence of complaints alleging excessive force (Article 14, Sec. 9.1).

• Requires the director of the department to report its findings and recommendations from analyzing and interpreting the data from the Community Police Reporting Database to the Governor, General Assembly, and Attorney General by July 1, 2021, and each July 1 thereafter (Article 14, Sec. 9.1).

• Authorizes the police force of every locality to collect data pertaining to a motor vehicle or investigatory stop, and to report such data to the Department of State Police for inclusion in the Community Policing Reporting Database (Article 14, Sec. 15.2).

• Prohibits all sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, and law enforcement officers from engaging in bias-based profiling in the performance of their official duties (Article 14, Sec. 15.2).

• Specifies that every time a law enforcement officer, or State Police officer stops a driver of a motor vehicle, the officer will collect the following data based on their observation or from information provided, including (Ch. 6.1, Sec. 52):

• The race, ethnicity, and gender of the individual stopped;

• The reason for the stop;

• Whether a warning, written citation, or summons was issued or whether the individual was arrested; and

• Whether the vehicle or any individual was searched.

• Authorizes State Police officers to collect data pertaining to a motor vehicle or investigatory stop and to report such data to their commanding officers, who will be required to forward it to the Superintendent of State Police (Ch. 6.1, Sec. 52).

• Defines “bias-based profiling” as actions of law enforcement officers that are based solely on the real or perceived race, ethnicity, age, gender, or any combination thereof, or other noncriminal characteristics of an individual, except in the when such characteristics are used in combination with other identifying factors in seeking to apprehend a suspect who matches a specific description (Ch. 6.1, Sec. 52).

Full Bill Text