Congress Proposes New Federal Penalties for Attacking Law Enforcement and Expanded Gun Rights for Officers
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
No action since December 2025
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
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
People with criminal records — especially those convicted of violent crimes or felonies involving law enforcement — face significantly harsher consequences under this bill. If someone is injured during the commission of a felony or violent crime (including during arrest), they can no longer sue for full damages under Section 1983 civil rights law. They'd only be able to recover actual out-of-pocket costs like medical bills, and couldn't get attorney's fees, making it much harder to hold anyone accountable for excessive force during those encounters.
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.
Legislation reintroduced by Senator John Cornyn and 35 colleagues would significantly increase criminal penalties for assaults against law enforcement. The bill establishes a federal crime for killing federally funded officers and limits the ability of criminals to recover civil damages.
Led by Senator John Cornyn, the Back the Blue Act aims to hold attackers accountable with tougher federal penalties, including the death penalty. The legislation also limits appeals and civil claims for criminals who harm officers and expands self-defense rights for law enforcement.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Back the Blue Act of 2025
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