Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB1551 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	I
2	2	119THCONGRESS
3	3	1
4	4	STSESSION H. R. 1551
5	5	To amend title 18, United States Code, to punish criminal offenses targeting
6	6	law enforcement officers, and for other purposes.
7	7	IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
8	8	FEBRUARY25, 2025
9	9	Mr. R
10	10	UTHERFORD(for himself, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. STAUBER, Mr. GOLD-
11	11	ENof Maine, Mr. HERNof Oklahoma, and Mr. FITZGERALD) introduced
12	12	the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
13	13	A BILL
14	14	To amend title 18, United States Code, to punish criminal
15	15	offenses targeting law enforcement officers, and for other
16	16	purposes.
17	17	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
18	18	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
19	19	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
20	20	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect and Serve Act 4
21	21	of 2025’’. 5
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24	24	•HR 1551 IH
25	25	SEC. 2. CRIMES TARGETING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI-1
26	26	CERS. 2
27	27	(a) I
28	28	NGENERAL.—Chapter 7 of title 18, United 3
29	29	States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-4
30	30	lowing: 5
31	31	‘‘§ 120. Crimes targeting law enforcement officers 6
32	32	‘‘(a) I
33	33	NGENERAL.—Whoever, in any circumstance 7
34	34	described in subsection (b), willfully causes serious bodily 8
35	35	injury to a person because of that person’s status as a 9
36	36	law enforcement officer, or attempts to do so— 10
37	37	‘‘(1) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 11
38	38	years, fined in accordance with this title, or both; 12
39	39	and 13
40	40	‘‘(2) shall be imprisoned for any term of years 14
41	41	or for life, fined in accordance with this title, or 15
42	42	both, if— 16
43	43	‘‘(A) death results from the offense; or 17
44	44	‘‘(B) the offense includes kidnapping or an 18
45	45	attempt to kidnap, or an attempt to kill. 19
46	46	‘‘(b) C
47	47	IRCUMSTANCESDESCRIBED.—For purposes of 20
48	48	subsection (a), the circumstances described in this sub-21
49	49	section are that— 22
50	50	‘‘(1) the conduct described in subsection (a) oc-23
51	51	curs during the course of, or as the result of, the 24
52	52	travel of the defendant or the victim— 25
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55	55	•HR 1551 IH
56	56	‘‘(A) across a State line or national border; 1
57	57	or 2
58	58	‘‘(B) using a channel, facility, or instru-3
59	59	mentality of interstate or foreign commerce; 4
60	60	‘‘(2) in connection with the conduct described in 5
61	61	subsection (a), the defendant employs a firearm, 6
62	62	dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device, or 7
63	63	other weapon that has traveled in interstate or for-8
64	64	eign commerce; 9
65	65	‘‘(3) the conduct described in subsection (a) oc-10
66	66	curs on Federal property or in interference of Fed-11
67	67	eral actors; and 12
68	68	‘‘(4) the victim is a Federal law enforcement of-13
69	69	ficer. 14
70	70	‘‘(c) C
71	71	ERTIFICATIONREQUIREMENT.— 15
72	72	‘‘(1) I
73	73	N GENERAL.—No prosecution of any of-16
74	74	fense described in this section may be undertaken by 17
75	75	the United States, except under the certification in 18
76	76	writing of the Attorney General, or a designee, 19
77	77	that— 20
78	78	‘‘(A) the State has requested that the Fed-21
79	79	eral Government assume jurisdiction; or 22
80	80	‘‘(B) a prosecution by the United States is 23
81	81	in the public interest and necessary to secure 24
82	82	substantial justice. To determine whether a 25
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85	85	•HR 1551 IH
86	86	prosecution meets this standard, the Attorney 1
87	87	General shall consider: 2
88	88	‘‘(i) the verdict or sentence obtained 3
89	89	pursuant to State charges; 4
90	90	‘‘(ii) the extent of planning and 5
91	91	premeditation; 6
92	92	‘‘(iii) the intended outcome of the con-7
93	93	duct; 8
94	94	‘‘(iv) disregard for human life, includ-9
95	95	ing collateral damage to unintended vic-10
96	96	tims; and 11
97	97	‘‘(v) benefit to public safety from Fed-12
98	98	eral prosecution. 13
99	99	‘‘(2) R
100	100	ULE OF CONSTRUCTION .—Nothing in 14
101	101	this subsection shall be construed to limit the au-15
102	102	thority of Federal officers, or a Federal grand jury, 16
103	103	to investigate possible violations of this section. 17
104	104	‘‘(d) D
105	105	EFINITIONS.—In this section: 18
106	106	‘‘(1) L
107	107	AW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER .—The term 19
108	108	‘law enforcement officer’ means an employee of a 20
109	109	governmental or public agency who is authorized by 21
110	110	law— 22
111	111	‘‘(A) to engage in or supervise the preven-23
112	112	tion, detection, or the investigation of any 24
113	113	criminal violation of law; or 25
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117	117	‘‘(B) to engage in or supervise the deten-1
118	118	tion or the incarceration of any person for any 2
119	119	criminal violation of law. 3
120	120	‘‘(2) S
121	121	TATE.—The term ‘State’ means a State 4
122	122	of the United States, the District of Columbia, or 5
123	123	any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 6
124	124	United States.’’. 7
125	125	(b) C
126	126	LERICALAMENDMENT.—The table of sections 8
127	127	at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 9
128	128	at the end the following new item: 10
129	129	‘‘120. Crimes targeting law enforcement officers.’’.
130	130	Æ
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