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Watch: Gov. Kim Reynolds signs Iowa police reform bill at 2 p.m.
The Gazette
May. 19, 2020 11:14 am, Updated: Jun. 12, 2020 2:52 pm
Gov. Kim Reynolds is signing a police misconduct bill into law today at 2 p.m.
The bill was fast-tracked through the Iowa Legislature and approved unanimously in the House and Senate on Thursday. The legislation bans the use of most choke holds and makes changes to hiring and firing practices.
Watch the livestream here at 2 p.m. as she signs the bill into law.
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WHAT'S IN THE BILL: Read more about what's in the bill here.
Among the provisions in the bill:
• Officers cannot use choke holds, with exceptions for if a person cannot be captured any other way and the person already has threatened or used deadly force.
• An officer cannot be hired if he or she has been fired or quit another department while being investigated for serious misconduct, including use of excessive force, or convicted of a felony.
• All law enforcement officers are required to be trained and instructed on de-escalation techniques; instruction on bias; an examination of practices and protocols that cause biased actions; and an understanding of and respect for diverse communities and the use of noncombative law enforcement methods in those communities.
• The Iowa Attorney General's Office may prosecute an officer if the officer's actions result in the death of another.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds speaks during her daily Coronavirus press briefing at the State Capitol on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 in Des Moines. (Brian Powers / The Register / pool photo)