Policing and crime

Restoring Executive Branch Authorities to Oversee Offices of the United States Attorneys Act of 2026

This bill expands the authority of the executive branch to appoint interim U.S. Attorneys.

Current law generally requires U.S. Attorneys to be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for four-year terms. However, if a position becomes vacant, then current law allows the Attorney General to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney for a term of up to 120 days. Further, if the 120-day term of an interim U.S. Attorney expires without a permanent, Senate-confirmed nominee, then the U.S. district court for the relevant judicial district may appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled.

This bill eliminates the authority for U.S. district courts to appoint U.S. Attorneys to fill a vacancy after the 120-day term of an interim U.S. Attorney expires.

Additionally, the bill authorizes the Attorney General to make multiple interim appointments for 120-day terms.

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025

This bill extends death and disability benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) to certain public safety officers who suffer from exposure-related cancer while on duty and their survivors. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty and their survivors.

The bill specifies that exposure to a carcinogen shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury in the line of duty if

• the exposure occurred while the officer was in the line of duty;

• the officer began serving as an officer not fewer than 5 years before the date of the diagnosis of an exposure-related cancer and the diagnosis occurred not more than 15 years after the last date of active service; and

• the exposure-related cancer directly and proximately resulted in the death or permanent and total disability of the officer.

The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance must periodically review the definition of exposure-related cancer and update the definition if appropriate based on medical evidence and in accordance with the requirements of a petition process.

George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025

This bill addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It increases accountability for law enforcement misconduct, restricts the use of certain policing practices, enhances transparency and data collection, and establishes best practices and training requirements.

The bill enhances existing enforcement mechanisms to remedy violations by law enforcement. Among other things, it does the following:

• lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or reckless—to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution,

• limits qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer, and

• grants administrative subpoena power to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in pattern-or-practice investigations.

It establishes a framework to prevent and remedy racial profiling by law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels. It also limits the unnecessary use of force and restricts the use of no-knock warrants, chokeholds, and carotid holds.

The bill creates a national registry—the National Police Misconduct Registry—to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct. It also establishes new reporting requirements, including on the use of force, officer misconduct, and routine policing practices (e.g., stops and searches).

Finally, it directs DOJ to create uniform accreditation standards for law enforcement agencies and requires law enforcement officers to complete training on racial profiling, implicit bias, and the duty to intervene when another officer uses excessive force.

Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

This bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in health care, social service, and similar sectors.

Specifically, Labor must issue an occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers to take actions to protect workers and other personnel from workplace violence. The standard applies to employers in the health care sector, in the social service sector, and in sectors that conduct activities similar to those in the health care and social service sectors. Among other elements, the standard must require each employer to (1) develop a workplace violence prevention plan, (2) promptly investigate incidents of workplace violence, and (3) provide relevant training and education to employees.

The bill requires certain hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to comply with this standard as a condition of Medicare participation.

Invest to Protect Act of 2025

This bill directs the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice to award grants to local and tribal governments that employ fewer than 175 law enforcement officers. Grant funds may be used for various activities, including to provide de-escalation training and improve recruitment and retention.

Capitol Remembrance Act

This bill requires the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) to design and install in a prominent location in the U.S. Capitol a permanent exhibit that depicts the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

To the extent possible, the AOC must preserve property that was damaged during the attack and include it in the exhibit. The AOC must also include (1) existing photographic records relating to the attack; and (2) a plaque to honor the U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies that protected the Capitol, the individuals who died or sustained injuries to protect the Capitol, and the staff who helped restore the Capitol complex after the attack.

The exhibit shall be installed within two years after the bill's enactment.

Thin Blue Line Act

This bill expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.

Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act or the HERO Act

This bill establishes a series of programs relating to the behavioral health of law enforcement officers, first responders, 9-1-1 operators, and other public safety officers and health care providers.

The programs include

• a public safety officer suicide-reporting system at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

• a grant program for peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs within fire departments and emergency medical services agencies, and

• a grant program for behavioral health and wellness programs for health care providers.

Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act

This bill allows funds awarded by the State Justice Institute to be used to establish, implement, and operate a judicial threat and intelligence resource center. The State Justice Institute is a private, nonprofit corporation established by federal law to support and improve the administration of justice in state courts.

Reauthorizing Support and Treatment for Officers in Crisis Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 grants for state and local law enforcement agencies and other organizations to provide family support services and mental health services to law enforcement personnel.

Protect and Serve Act of 2025

This bill establishes a new criminal offense for knowingly assaulting a law enforcement officer and causing serious bodily injury (or attempting to do so) in circumstances that affect interstate commerce.

It imposes criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both—on a violator.

Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2025

This bill establishes within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a National Center on Antiracism and Health and a law enforcement violence prevention program.

In particular, the new center must carry out various activities to address racism and its impact on health and well-being. This includes declaring racism a public health crisis, collecting and analyzing data, and administering research and grant programs.

Additionally, the bill specifically directs the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, in coordination with the Department of Justice and other relevant stakeholders, to implement the law enforcement violence prevention program by conducting research and supporting other activities pertaining to law enforcement violence and public health.

Qualified Immunity Act of 2025

This bill provides statutory authority for qualified immunity for law enforcement officers in civil cases involving constitutional violations.

Current law provides a statutory civil cause of action against state and local government actors (e.g., law enforcement officers) for violations of constitutional rights, also known as Section 1983 lawsuits. The Supreme Court has also found an implied cause of action against federal law enforcement officers in certain situations (e.g., Fourth Amendment violations), also known as Bivens lawsuits. However, under the judicial doctrine of qualified immunity, government officials performing discretionary duties are generally shielded from civil liability, unless their actions violate clearly established rights of which a reasonable person would have known.

The bill provides statutory authority for these principles with respect to law enforcement officers. Specifically, under the bill, law enforcement officers are entitled to qualified immunity if (1) at the time of the alleged violation, the constitutional right at issue was not clearly established or the state of the law was not sufficiently clear that every reasonable officer would have known that the conduct was unconstitutional; or (2) a court has held that the specific conduct at issue is constitutional.

The bill applies to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers. It also specifies that law enforcement agencies and local governments may not be held liable if their officers are entitled to qualified immunity.