Senator Rand Paul introduces legislation to end ‘no knock warrants’

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced legislation on Thursday to end no-knock warrants, a measure that appears to have bipartisan support as demand grows for police reform.

Titled “Justice for Breonna Taylor Act,” the law would prohibit federal law enforcement from carrying out a warrant “until after the officer provides notice of his or her authority and purpose.”

“After talking with Breonna Taylor’s family, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s long past time to get rid of no-knock warrants. This bill will effectively end no-knock raids in the United States,” Paul said in a statement.

Taylor, 26, was fatally shot in her home in Kentucky by police who were carrying out a no-knock warrant.

Paul’s proposal comes as Congress is debating how to respond to the death of George Floyd.

House and Senate Democrats introduced something similar earlier this week and last week, seeking to end no-knock warrants in federal drug cases and tie law enforcement funding to state and local agencies on a similar ban.

Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) said on Thursday that he will introduce Republicans’ police reform bill by the middle of next week, which may or may not include language that would have prevented Taylor’s death.

Scott was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to lead a working group of GOP senators tasked with proposing reform legislation.

Scott’s bill would, among other provisions, increase funding for police body cameras and penalize not wearing them by reducing grants. It would also tie grant eligibility to reporting uses of force that cause death or serious injury to the FBI and to states maintaining a system that shares police records.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).

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