[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1766 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1766
To protect Federal, State, and local public safety officers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 14, 2025
Mr. Sullivan introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To protect Federal, State, and local public safety officers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Protect Our Heroes Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Law enforcement officers, first responders, and public
safety officials risk their lives every day to serve and
protect our neighborhoods and communities.
(2) These men and women are true public servants who
regularly sacrifice and encounter grave daily harm.
(3) The families of law enforcement officers, first
responders, and public safety officials also sacrifice and
contribute to their roles as guardians of the public good.
(4) In recent times, it has become apparent that these men
and women are being targeted intentionally by criminals in our
society.
(5) Congress must do all it can to promote a system of law
and order that enables law enforcement officers, first
responders, and public safety officials to properly do their
jobs.
SEC. 3. PROTECTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS.
(a) Killing of Public Safety Officers.--
(1) Offense.--Chapter 51 of title 18, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1123. Killing of public safety officers
``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the terms `Federal law enforcement officer' and
`United States judge' have the meanings given those terms in
section 115;
``(2) the term `federally funded public safety officer'
means a public safety officer or judicial officer for a public
agency that--
``(A) receives Federal financial assistance; and
``(B) is an agency of an entity that is a State of
the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, or any territory or possession of the
United States, an Indian Tribe, or a unit of local
government of that entity;
``(3) the term `firefighter' includes an individual serving
as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally
organized volunteer fire department and an officially
recognized or designated public employee member of a rescue
squad or ambulance crew;
``(4) the term `judicial officer' means a judge or other
officer or employee of a court, including prosecutors, court
security, pretrial services officers, court reporters, and
corrections, probation, and parole officers;
``(5) the term `law enforcement officer' means an
individual, with arrest powers, involved in crime or juvenile
delinquency control or reduction or enforcement of the laws;
``(6) the term `public agency' includes a court system, the
National Guard of a State to the extent the personnel of that
National Guard are not in Federal service, and the defense
forces of a State authorized by section 109 of title 32; and
``(7) the term `public safety officer' means an individual
serving a public agency in an official capacity as a law
enforcement officer, a firefighter, a chaplain, or a member of
a rescue squad or ambulance crew.
``(b) Offense.--
``(1) In general.--It shall be unlawful for any person to,
in any circumstance described in paragraph (2), kill, or
attempt or conspire to kill, a current or former judicial
officer or public safety officer, while the officer is engaged
in official duties, or on account of past performance of
official duties.
``(2) Circumstances described.--For purposes of paragraph
(1), a circumstance described in this paragraph is a
circumstance in which--
``(A) the conduct described in paragraph (1) occurs
during the course of, or as the result of, the travel
of the defendant or the victim--
``(i) across a State line or national
border; or
``(ii) using a channel, facility, or
instrumentality of interstate or foreign
commerce;
``(B) the defendant uses a channel, facility, or
instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in
connection with the conduct described in paragraph (1);
``(C) in connection with the conduct described in
paragraph (1), the defendant employs a firearm,
dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device, or
other weapon that has traveled in interstate or foreign
commerce;
``(D) the conduct described in paragraph (1)--
``(i) interferes with commercial or other
economic activity in which the victim is
engaged at the time of the conduct; or
``(ii) otherwise affects interstate or
foreign commerce; or
``(E) the victim is--
``(i) a Federal law enforcement officer;
``(ii) a United States judge; or
``(iii) a federally funded public safety
officer.
``(c) Penalty.--
``(1) In general.--Any person that violates subsection (b)
shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less
than 10 years or for life, or, if death results, shall be
sentenced to not less than 30 years and not more than life, or
may be punished by death.
``(2) Directive to commission.--
``(A) In general.--Pursuant to section 994 of title
28, the United States Sentencing Commission shall
promulgate guidelines or amend existing guidelines to
provide sentencing enhancements of not less than 5
offense levels for offenses where the finder of fact at
trial determines beyond a reasonable doubt that, in the
commission of a violation of subsection (b), the
defendant lures the victim to a location for the
purpose of killing, or attempting to kill, the victim.
``(B) Requirement.--In carrying out this paragraph,
the United States Sentencing Commission shall assure
reasonable consistency with other guidelines, avoid
duplicative punishments for substantially the same
offense, and take into account any mitigating
circumstances that may justify exceptions.''.
(2) Table of sections.--The table of sections for chapter
51 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``1123. Killing of public safety officers.''.
(b) Assaults of Public Safety Officers.--
(1) Offense.--Chapter 7 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 120. Assaults of public safety officers
``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `federally funded public safety officer'
means a public safety officer or judicial officer for a public
agency that--
``(A) receives Federal financial assistance; and
``(B) is an agency of an entity that is a State of
the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, or any territory or possession of the
United States, an Indian Tribe, or a unit of local
government of that entity;
``(2) the term `firefighter' includes an individual serving
as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally
organized volunteer fire department and an officially
recognized or designated public employee member of a rescue
squad or ambulance crew;
``(3) the term `judicial officer' means a judge or other
officer or employee of a court, including prosecutors, court
security, pretrial services officers, court reporters, and
corrections, probation, and parole officers;
``(4) the term `law enforcement officer' means an
individual, with arrest powers, involved in crime or juvenile
delinquency control or reduction or enforcement of the laws;
``(5) the term `public agency' includes a court system, the
National Guard of a State to the extent the personnel of that
National Guard are not in Federal service, and the defense
forces of a State authorized by section 109 of title 32; and
``(6) the term `public safety officer' means an individual
serving a public agency in an official capacity as a law
enforcement officer, a firefighter, a chaplain, or a member of
a rescue squad or ambulance crew.
``(b) Offense.--
``(1) In general.--It shall be unlawful, in any
circumstance described in paragraph (2), to assault, or attempt
to assault, a current or former judicial officer or public
safety officer, while the officer is engaged in official
duties, or on account of past performance of official duties.
``(2) Circumstances described.--For purposes of paragraph
(1), a circumstance described in this paragraph is a
circumstance in which--
``(A) the conduct described in paragraph (1) occurs
during the course of, or as the result of, the travel
of the defendant or the victim--
``(i) across a State line or national
border; or
``(ii) using a channel, facility, or
instrumentality of interstate or foreign
commerce;
``(B) the defendant uses a channel, facility, or
instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in
connection with the conduct described in paragraph (1);
``(C) in connection with the conduct described in
paragraph (1), the defendant employs a firearm,
dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device, or
other weapon that has traveled in interstate or foreign
commerce;
``(D) the conduct described in paragraph (1)--
``(i) interferes with commercial or other
economic activity in which the victim is
engaged at the time of the conduct; or
``(ii) otherwise affects interstate or
foreign commerce; or
``(E) the victim is--
``(i) a Federal law enforcement officer;
``(ii) a United States judge; or
``(iii) a federally funded public safety
officer.
``(c) Penalty.--
``(1) In general.--Any person that violates subsection (b)
shall be subject to a fine under this title and--
``(A) if the assault resulted in bodily injury (as
defined in section 1365), shall be imprisoned for not
less than 2 years and not more than 10 years;
``(B) if the assault resulted in substantial bodily
injury (as defined in section 113), shall be imprisoned
for not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years;
``(C) if the assault resulted in serious bodily
injury (as defined in section 1365), shall be
imprisoned for not less than 10 years;
``(D) if a deadly or dangerous weapon was used
during and in relation to the assault, shall be
imprisoned for not less than 20 years; and
``(E) shall be imprisoned for not more than 1 year
in any other case.
``(2) Directive to commission.--
``(A) In general.--Pursuant to section 994 of title
28, the United States Sentencing Commission shall
promulgate guidelines or amend existing guidelines to
provide sentencing enhancements of not less than 5
offense levels for offenses where the finder of fact at
trial determines beyond a reasonable doubt that, in the
commission of a violation of subsection (b), the
defendant lures the victim to a location for the
purpose of assaulting, or attempting to assault, the
victim.
``(B) Requirement.--In carrying out this paragraph,
the United States Sentencing Commission shall assure
reasonable consistency with other guidelines, avoid
duplicative punishments for substantially the same
offense, and take into account any mitigating
circumstances that may justify exceptions.''.
(2) Table of sections.--The table of sections for chapter 7
of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``120. Assaults of public safety officers.''.
<all>