JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Two bills that would boost the accountability and transparency of Mississippi’s police officers have been gaining some traction in the Mississippi Legislature.

The pair of House bills were authored by one Democrat and one Republican. Both bills focus on bringing some change to how law enforcement in the state conduct themselves.

The Trust in Law Enforcement Act was authored by Rep. Zakiya Summers (D-District 68). It would task the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) with creating a public database that contains information regarding an officer’s conduct while in the line of duty.

“What we want to do is provide an opportunity for the public to see when law enforcement are coming into your community, if they have had any issues in the past, and we can therefore hold those law enforcement officers, as well as the agencies accountable,” Summers said.

House Bill 691 was authored by Rep. Fred Shanks (R-District 60). The proposal would make changes to the Board of Law Enforcement Officer Standings and Training and allow the board to investigate and revoke any officer certificates.

“The bill was formed with the idea of giving the board of minimum standards, which that board holds the certificates for all law enforcement officers in the state of Mississippi. And this would give them some teeth to actually pull a certificate if they deem necessary,” said Shanks.

Both bills have been referred to their respective committees and could see floor action as soon as next week.