Model Legislation for Local Government

These pieces of model legislation provide opportunities for individual municipalities to do what the federal government has not: protect the liberty and privacy of law-abiding Americans, and hold government officials responsible for authorizing or committing torture.  Each model can be modified to suit the needs of any particular jurisdiction.

Ordinance on law enforcement, domestic surveillance, racial and religious profiling and immigration enforcement

This ordinance protects the fundamental rights and liberties of law-abiding Americans to be free of arbitrary monitoring, surveillance, detention, search, or arrest by local law enforcement authorities; and focuses local law enforcement agencies on their core public safety mission.  In particular, the legislation limits local law enforcement agencies' participation in domestic surveillance, intelligence collection, and immigration enforcement, while restoring Fourth Amendment rights increasingly eroded by domestic surveillance. The ordinance also includes strong protections against profiling according to race, religion, country of origin, or political speech; undercover infiltration of activist groups; and cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and military personnel. Finally, it includes a private right of action, and liquidated damages, for individuals whose rights are violated.

Ordinance on executive accountability for torture

This ordinance aims to restore the Nuremberg precedent and bring to justice all former and current government officials who approved or committed torture. It authorizes local authorities to investigate federal officials, engages them in continuing efforts to gain transparency into evidence that remains secret; and expresses the view of the municipality that the federal government should pursue both prosecution and an independent commission. An optional provision authorizes local law enforcement agencies to arrest and detain former officials accused of torture if discovered within the jurisdiction.

Kurt Daims, Coordinator for Torture Prosecution under Universal Jurisdiction, is available to assist with your local efforts to pass this ordinance.

Toolkit for securing passage of ordinances by local governments

This detailed toolkit offers step-by-step guidance about how to organize a coalition in your city or town, build public support for a civil liberties agenda, reach out to local officeholders, and ultimately secure passage of local legislation you support.  The toolkit is also available as a PDF.

For more information, or to share of your interest so that we can most effectively support your efforts and inform and inspire others, please email Grassroots Campaign Coordinator Emma Roderick.

Resources

Resources for ordinance efforts, including talking points for each of the model ordinances.