AUSTIN, Texas — Texas State Rep. Jolanda "Jo" Jones and members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus advocated for what they're calling the "Police Liability Insurance Bill" during a press conference at the State Capitol on Wednesday.
"I filed HB 1808, which will require peace officers across Texas to carry personal liability insurance as a condition of their employment. While I have been planning to file this bill for months, I believe that given the events of the last few weeks, now, more than ever, is the time to offer real solutions to create police accountability and end the unjust violence being taken against the Black community," Jones said in a statement.
HB 1808 was filed on Jan. 30 and calls for "a minimum coverage amount for a policy that allows for a reasonable number of victims to be compensated and require a policy to state that the policy is provided in accordance with and is subject to this section."
In other words, the bill would redirect the costs onto the individual officer and their liability insurance. According to a press release from Jones' office, it would "create a system of police accountability and ensure that only qualified offers remain employed."
The press conference on HB 1808 comes shortly after the deaths of Tyre Nichols in Memphis and Keenan Anderson in Los Angeles. Nichols was beaten by Memphis police and later died from his injuries, while Anderson died after Los Angeles police stunned him several times with a Taser.