U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) led nearly three dozen of his Republican Senate colleagues in introducing legislation that would further protect law enforcement officers.
The Back the Blue Act would increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement and would provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.
“Our law enforcement officers bravely risk their lives daily to protect our communities, and anyone who targets them should be met with the full force of the law, including the death penalty,” Cornyn said. “America was built on the principles of law and order, and this legislation sends a clear message that targeted attacks on law enforcement will not be tolerated, dangerous criminals will be held accountable, and our men and women in blue have our full and unwavering support.”
The legislation would make it a federal crime to kill, attempt to kill or conspire to kill federal judges, federal law enforcement officers or federally funded public safety officers. If convicted, offenders would be subject to the death penalty and a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years if the attack results in a death. The legislation would also make penalties for assaulting a federally funded law enforcement officer stricter and would create a new federal crime for interstate flight from justice to avoid prosecution for killing, attempting to kill or conspiring to kill a federal judge or law enforcement officer.
The legislation would also clarify that the murder or attempted murder of a law enforcement officer or first responder is a statutory aggravating factor for the purposes of the federal death penalty and would impose time limits on federal court’s review of challenges to state-court convictions for crimes involving the murder of a public safety officer in the line of duty.
The legislation would also protect law enforcement by limiting the type of civil damages and attorney’s fees a criminal can recover as a result of purported injuries incurred during the commission of a crime and would expand self-defense and Second Amendment rights for law enforcement officers allowing them to carry firearms into federal facilities and other jurisdictions where possession is otherwise prohibited.
The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn, (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), John Barrasso (R-WY), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Todd Young (R-IN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).
The legislation is supported by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), and the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA, among others.