By Ramsey Cox
The Senate passed a bill
Wednesday to investigate the deaths of people being held under police custody.
H.R. 1447, the Death in Custody
Reporting Act, would require states receiving some federal funds to report to
the U.S. attorney general every quarter on whether any person arrested or
detained died while in police custody.
The bill, which comes after
several unarmed African-American men have been killed by local law enforcement,
would also require the attorney general to study how it could reduce the number
of deaths that occur under police custody.
The House passed the measure by
voice vote last year. The Senate passed it through a unanimous consent
agreement, meaning it now heads to President Obama’s desk for him to sign it
into law.
