H.R. 4310: Back the Blue Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Back the Blue Act of 2025, proposes several measures aimed at enhancing the protection of law enforcement officers and related public safety personnel, as well as strengthening the repercussions for individuals who harm them. Below are the key provisions outlined in the bill:

1. Protection of Law Enforcement Officers

The bill introduces new federal offenses related to harming law enforcement officers, which include:

• Killing of Law Enforcement Officers: It will be unlawful to kill or conspire to kill a federal law enforcement officer, a federally funded public safety officer, or a United States judge.
• Penalties: Any violation will carry severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment for a minimum of 10 years, with harsher sentences (up to life in prison or even the death penalty) if the offense results in death.

2. Assault of Law Enforcement Officers

Additionally, the bill seeks to criminalize assaults against federally funded state or local law enforcement officers while they are performing official duties:

• Definition of Offense: It will be unlawful to assault these officers during their official duties or target former officers due to their past service.
• Penalties: Penalties for assaulting a law enforcement officer can range from 2 years to 10 years of imprisonment, escalating based on the severity of injury caused.

3. Flight to Avoid Prosecution

The bill also makes it an offense to flee interstate or internationally to evade prosecution for killing law enforcement officials. The penalties align with those for the initial offenses, including significant imprisonment.

4. Aggravating Factors in Death Penalty Cases

In cases involving the death penalty, the act proposes to include the killing of law enforcement officers among the aggravating factors that could lead to a death sentence.

5. Limiting Federal Habeas Relief

The bill aims to restrict the ability of individuals convicted of murdering law enforcement officers to seek federal habeas corpus relief, thus enforcing stricter rules on the reviews of such cases in the federal court system.

6. Self-Defense Rights for Law Enforcement Officers

It expands the authority of law enforcement officers to carry firearms while performing their duties, including in federal facilities, enhancing their ability to protect themselves and others.

7. Improving Relationship Between Law Enforcement and Communities

To foster better community relations, the bill allocates up to $20 million each year from fiscal year 2026 to 2030 for grants aimed at promoting transparency, procedural reforms, and community-based partnerships to reduce crime.

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