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Republican Senator working on police reform legislation

The legislation addresses officer misconduct, improved training and tactics and collects critical information on incidents relating to bodily injury and death.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) has been working on legislation for police reform since 2015 after the murder of Walter Scott.

Scott reintroduced the Walter Scott Notification Act last month, which would require states to report officer-involved shootings.

This legislation requires states receiving federal law enforcement funding to report a number of details surrounding those shootings.

“The fact is, without proper data in regard to officer-related shootings, we cannot find lasting solutions in this area. I will continue working in the coming weeks to introduce new solutions around race, justice, and ensuring people of all colors and economic classes have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream,” Scott said.

Now, Scott is working on the JUSTICE Act.

“I've been working on police reform legislation for years. Now is the time to pass a solution,” Scott said.

He says the JUSTICE Act addresses officer misconduct, brings improved training and tactics and collects critical information on incidents relating to bodily injury and death.

“Today, only 40 percent of law enforcement departments are actually providing information to the DOJ (Department of Justice),” Scott said.

Scott is trying to change that statistic to 100 percent with his new legislation as it relates to serious bodily injury and death.

“When the officer uses force, we need to have all the information,” Scott said. “The second thing we have to do is look at training and tactics. If we do that, we can certainly de-escalate the situation and make sure that the officer and the suspect go home.”

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