States tackling 'qualified immunity' for police as Congress squabbles over the issue

The fight in Congress to reform how the nation's police officers go about their jobs has reinvigorated a discussion over so-called "qualified immunity," a controversial federal doctrine that protects officers accused of violating the Constitution while on duty.

While abolishing the more than 50-year-old doctrine remains one of the main sticking points between Republicans and Democrats over any deal on passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a look at reform efforts around the country shows that several states have forged ahead with eliminating the protection. Since Floyd was killed last May by then-Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, at least 25 states have taken up the issue and considered some form of qualified immunity reform, including Colorado, New Mexico, Connecticut and Massachusetts, which have passed legislation to end or restrict the defense, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.