Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act

Key Points

• The bill bans the Department of Defense from transferring heavy military equipment to law enforcement agencies, including grenades, grenade launchers, bayonets, mine-resistant vehicles, weaponized drones, silencers, and long-range acoustic devices.
• Police departments would need city council approval and must post a public notice for at least 30 days before getting any allowed equipment, giving communities a say in whether their local police acquire military surplus gear.
• Agencies that lose track of transferred equipment or are found to have engaged in civil liberties violations must return the property and will be suspended from the program. The Secretary of Defense must certify 100% accountability for all controlled property each year.
• Some controlled vehicles (but not mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles) can still be transferred if the Secretary of Defense grants a waiver for disaster, rescue, or life-safety purposes. Non-automatic firearms can also be transferred with proper certification that they will not be used for routine patrol.
• The bill responds directly to Trump's January 2025 executive order that rolled back restrictions on the 1033 program, which had been reinstated under a 2022 executive order. By writing these restrictions into law, the bill would prevent future presidents from undoing them.