The Sandra Bland Act, which has been signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday, is one of the first of many steps aimed towards preventing occurrences like the unlawful arrest and death of Sandra Bland from happening again.

In January 2015, Sandra Bland began her civil rights activism stance by posting videos in the discourse of racial profiling and police brutality against blacks.

In a routine traffic stop, Department of Public Safety Trooper Brian Encinia pulled over Bland, 28, for failure to use her signal in a lane change. The encounter between Encinia and Bland was recorded by the officer's dashcam and displayed a heated argument between the officer and Bland. The argument led to Encinia removing Bland from her vehicle, forcibly pinning her to the ground and arresting her on charges of assaulting a public officer.

Although the remainder of the incident took place out of frame, Bland was heard crying and screaming.

Just days after her arrest, police issued a statement that Bland was found in her jail cell dead. The death was ruled a suicide. Citizens took to the streets protesting that the Bland investigation is conducted a murder.

Per news reports, an employee of the jail witnessed Encinia falsifying jail logs. Encinia was indicted on a perjury charge and fired from the Dept. of Public Safety.

According to the Texas Tribune, The Sandra Bland Act mandates that county jails make it easier for defendants to receive personal bonds if they have a mental illness or intellectual disability. The law also requires that independent law enforcement agencies investigate jail deaths and that those with mental illness and substance use issues be redirected to a treatment facility.

The bill also orders that officers go through de-escalation training.

And why was this not already a thing?

The law will be in effect as of September 1, 2017.