U.S. House Passes 'George Floyd Act'... Senate Vote Is Key

A memorial candlelight vigil is being held at Jack Yates High School in Houston, Texas, the alma mater of George Floyd. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] On the 3rd (local time), the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that prohibits police from choking suspects and limits police qualified immunity, allowing lawsuits against officers who violate constitutional rights.

On the same day, foreign media reported that the U.S. House passed the "George Floyd Law" with 220 votes in favor and 212 against. The George Floyd Law is named after George Floyd, a Black man who died last May after a white police officer kneeled on his neck.

The main point of the bill is to prohibit police from choking suspects during arrest and to limit qualified immunity for officers who violate suspects' rights, allowing them to be sued. It also includes provisions banning warrantless home searches and requiring police to provide data on when they use force.

However, the bill had passed the House in June last year but was not processed in the Senate. Foreign media predict that at least 10 Republican senators must vote in favor for it to pass this time.

This is because, in the Senate where Democrats and Republicans are evenly split, ending a filibuster and proceeding to a vote requires at least 60 votes in favor.

Representatives of the Floyd family issued a statement calling it "a significant step toward improving relations between police and people of color" and urged the Senate to pass the George Floyd Law.