The Back the Blue Act of 2025 creates new federal crimes and penalties for killing or assaulting law enforcement officers, judges, and other public safety officials. It also expands firearm authority for officers and funds programs to build trust between agencies and communities.
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.
