Members of the Texas Senate have voted 31-0 on SB2212 and SB68, bills primarily authored by State Senator Royce West (D-Dallas) and State Senator Borris Miles (D-Houston) respectively. SB2212 establishes a duty for officers to request and render aid to a person an officer observes to be injured during the course of the officer’s duties. SB68 would require that an officer act to intervene if the officer sees that another officer is using force he believes to be excessive that would be in violation of state or federal law.
“The past few years have been both troubling and crucial to us as a society when we recall the number of deadly force incidents that have taken place across America,” said Senator West. “SB2212 and SB68 passed the Senate just days after many Americans acknowledged a collective sigh of relief following the guilty verdicts rendered in the Derek Chauvin case for his role in George Floyd’s death.
“These bills today could mark a pivotal moment,” said Senator West. “They acknowledge that things are not quite as they should be when we look at how some citizens and communities are treated when they come in contact with some who are sworn to protect them.”
If passed into law, SB2212 would require an officer to immediately request emergency medical assistance and to help a person who is injured until assistance arrives. It also contains provisions related to officer safety if the onsite conditions pose danger. In addition to requiring an officer to intervene if the officer witnesses another officer using excessive force, SB68 calls for the officer who must intervene to promptly report the incident to the officer’s supervisors.
“As policymakers in this state and across the country, we cannot ignore these repeated incidents that in too many cases are have the appearance of officer misconduct,” said Senator West. “I want to thank my colleague Borris Miles and others in the Senate for their leadership in taking these initial steps to address social justice concerns and encourage them to take the next step, because our work on these issues is not complete.”
SB2212 and SB68 must now be approved by the Texas House of Representatives before they can become law. Less than 40 days remain in the 140-day, 87th Legislative Session.
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