Michigan State Senate unanimously approves bill requiring police receive implicit bias training

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would require police to be trained on implicit bias and de-escalation techniques to minimize the use of force.

Thursday's vote came more than a week after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which has sparked nationwide protests.

The legislation would also mandate, starting in 2022, that officers complete annual continuing education. Michigan is among six states without such a requirement, according to a 2017 report.

The measure, which was passed just a week after its introduction, was sent to the House for further consideration.

The bill, authored by Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) received a 7-0 ruling Thursday morning while in committee. Two hours later, it received a 38-0 vote to adopt the bill.

Another senator proposed an amendment that required 12 hours of education on an annual basis for police in 2022, then 24 hours afterwards.