Bend Toward Justice Act of 2020

Bend Toward Justice Act of 2020

This bill lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to reckless—to convict a government official (including a law enforcement officer) for deprivation of rights while acting under color of law.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7134 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7134

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to lower the mens rea standard 
   to reckless for the offense related to depriving persons of their 
         rights under the color of law, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2020

    Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mr. Jeffries, Ms. Norton, Ms. Lee of 
California, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mrs. Watson Coleman, 
Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Hastings, 
 Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Meeks, 
Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Engel, Mr. Brown 
 of Maryland, Miss Rice of New York, Mr. Cooper, Ms. Meng, Mr. Welch, 
 and Mrs. Trahan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

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                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to lower the mens rea standard 
   to reckless for the offense related to depriving persons of their 
         rights under the color of law, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bend Toward Justice Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS UNDER COLOR OF LAW MENS REA STANDARD.

    Section 242 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``willfully'' and inserting ``recklessly''.
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