Bill Overview
Title: Data on Interactions and Accountability for Law Enforcement with Individuals with Disabilities Act
Description: This bill expands activities to collect data about interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with disabilities. In particular, the bill establishes a temporary advisory council within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a methodology for collecting and reporting data on interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with disabilities. HHS must award a grant to an independent research organization or institution of higher education to test the validity and reliability of the council's methodology. The council must also provide the Department of Justice with best practices to collect disability status in cases where a death or injury occurred because of an interaction with law enforcement. The bill also requires certain federal initiatives that collect information about interactions with law enforcement (e.g., the National Use-of-Force Data Collection) to include disability status. Further, the Bureau of Justice must award a grant to an independent third-party organization (e.g., an institution of higher education) for identifying trends using certain survey data in violence committed by law enforcement officers against individuals with disabilities.
Sponsors: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Target Audience
Population: People with disabilities
Estimated Size: 40000000
- The bill focuses on interactions between law enforcement and individuals with disabilities. This is the primary population affected.
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1 billion people, or approximately 15% of the world's population, live with some form of disability.
- The intersection of law enforcement interaction with this group is critical given historical issues of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and differential treatment leading to harmful outcomes.
- The bill aims to gather data to understand these interactions better and to work towards improving them.
Reasoning
- The distribution reflects people from different areas (urban and rural) to capture potential geographical differences in law enforcement interaction scenarios.
- Considering people with varying levels of disability to showcase different impacts.
- Including both individuals directly impacted by law enforcement interactions and those less likely to have such interactions to illustrate a range of possible experiences under the policy.
- The shift in wellbeing scores focuses on awareness and perceived safety improvements, which are central to the policy's aim.
Simulated Interviews
unemployed (rural Kentucky)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I often feel like I'm not treated fairly by law enforcement due to my disability.
- This policy might finally bring some accountability and safety.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
software developer (urban New York)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This data is crucial for policy change. I hope it leads to meaningful reforms and gives a voice to those who are often overlooked.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
teacher (suburban California)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this data collection helps in training officers better.
- Improving communication could lessen misunderstandings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
retired (urban Texas)
Age: 53 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My family feels vulnerable with my condition. If this leads to extra training, it would be a blessing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
farmer (rural North Dakota)
Age: 67 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't see how this policy will touch my life, seems targeted to urban settings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
student (urban Ohio)
Age: 21 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this policy will make cities safer for people like me.
- Training needs to be informed by real experiences.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
delivery driver (urban Florida)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This can prevent future legal issues for folks like me who have invisible disabilities.
- I support more research for better outcomes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
artist (rural Montana)
Age: 58 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If done right, this can empower disabled communities and hold law enforcement accountable.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
healthcare worker (suburban Illinois)
Age: 46 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Critical insight into how disabled individuals are treated needs highlighting.
- Expecting possible improvements in policy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
policy analyst (urban Washington D.C.)
Age: 32 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Implementing this bill's recommendations could potentially save lives and push necessary reforms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $4500000, High: $5500000)
Year 2: $5000000 (Low: $4500000, High: $5500000)
Year 3: $5000000 (Low: $4500000, High: $5500000)
Year 5: $5000000 (Low: $4500000, High: $5500000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The primary focus of the bill is non-financial, aiming to improve data quality and accountability for interactions between law enforcement and individuals with disabilities.
- The implementation involves collaboration across federal agencies such as HHS and DOJ, requiring alignment of protocols and reporting systems.
- Indirect effects may include improved law enforcement practices and positive societal impacts, potentially reducing instances of harmful interactions.