Law Enforcement: New Federal Penalties for Attacks on Police
The Senate Judiciary Committee received this bill in January 2025 for review. It has not moved since January 2025 and remains stalled in the committee process. The committee members must decide whether to hold a vote on the bill before it can move forward.
While this bill has support from law enforcement groups, similar proposals often face opposition in the Senate due to concerns about the federal government taking over local police matters.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
The bill creates a new federal crime for knowingly assaulting a law enforcement officer, with penalties up to 10 years in prison, or up to life in prison if death, kidnapping, or attempted murder is involved. This means people accused of these acts could face federal charges and sentences on top of, or instead of, state charges, especially if a firearm or interstate travel is involved.
“shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Senator Thom Tillis reintroduced the Protect and Serve Act, which would establish a federal crime for knowingly causing or attempting to cause bodily harm to an officer, carrying a sentence of up to 10 years, or life imprisonment if the attack results in death.
The legislation, introduced by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis and Chris Coons, would establish federal penalties for intentionally killing or attempting to kill officers because of their law enforcement status. Attempting to kill an officer would carry a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Former police chief Tom Weitzel calls on Congress to pass the Protect and Serve Act, noting that the bill aims to create a federal offense for anyone who willingly attacks a law enforcement officer, as ambush-style attacks on police continue to rise in 2025.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Protect and Serve Act of 2025
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.