Creates new federal crimes for killing or assaulting any law enforcement officer, judge, or first responder whose agency receives federal funding, including state and local police, with mandatory minimum sentences starting at 10 years for killings and 2-20 years for assaults depending on injury and weapon use. Allows the death penalty for killing such officers and adds officer killings as a new aggravating factor in federal capital cases. Sharply restricts the ability of state prisoners convicted of killing covered officers to challenge their convictions in federal habeas corpus proceedings, including by imposing tight time limits, blocking review of sentencing claims, and removing the option to ask higher courts to rehear denials. Expands carry rights for active and retired law enforcement officers under federal law, including allowing them to carry in school zones and in lower-security federal buildings, and clarifies that 'any magazine' is permitted ammunition. Authorizes up to $20 million per year through 2030, drawn from existing Department of Justice grant funds, for grants to state, local, and tribal agencies and nonprofits to improve community trust, training, transparency, and officer wellness.
Criminal Justice & Due Process
- Mandatory minimums for officer assault — Set at 2-year floor for bodily injury, 10-year floor for serious injury
- Mandatory minimum for armed officer assault — Set at 20-year floor when a deadly or dangerous weapon is used
- Mandatory minimum for officer killings — Set at 10-year floor, with a 30-year floor when death results
- Federal death-penalty aggravating factors — Killing a law enforcement officer, prosecutor, judge, or first responder added as a new factor
- New federal flight-from-prosecution offense — 10-year mandatory minimum added for interstate flight after killing a covered officer
Civil Liberties
- Federal habeas review for state officer-killing convictions — Tight time limits applied and sentencing-claim review barred
- Appellate review of denied habeas petitions — Rehearing and Supreme Court certiorari paths removed in covered cases
- Rule 60(b)(6) habeas reopening — Made unavailable in covered officer-killing cases
Transparency & Accountability
- DOJ certification requirement — Federal prosecution of officer-assault cases requires written Attorney General certification on jurisdiction or public-interest grounds
Congressional Summary
Back the Blue Act of 2025This bill establishes new criminal offenses for violent conduct against judicial officers and law enforcement officers and makes related changes. The bill also broadens the authority of certain law enforcement officers to carry firearms. With respect to new criminal offenses, the bill prohibits killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a federal judge, a federal law enforcement officer, or a public safety or judicial officer for a state, local, or tribal agency that receives federal funding. The bill also prohibits fleeing to avoid prosecution, custody, or confinement for such an offense.Additionally, the bill prohibits killing former federal judges, former federal law enforcement officers, or former public safety or judicial officers for a state, local, or tribal agency that receives federal funding.The bill also prohibits certain assaults on state or local law enforcement officers who work for an agency of a state or the District of Columbia that receives federal funding. The bill limits federal court review of challenges to state court convictions for killing a public safety officer or judge.The bill allows federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to carry firearms if authorized by law. The bill also allows qualified law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms and ammunition (including magazines) in school zones and in certain federal facilities that are open to the public.Finally, the bill temporarily directs the Department of Justice to make grants to improve relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-07-10
- Date Added
- 2026-04-25
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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