The National Police Association Endorses the Back the Blue Act of 2025

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Last year marked the highest rate of assaults on police officers within the past decade, per a startling report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Bureau also announced that between 2021 and 2024, more officers were feloniously killed than during any consecutive four-year period over the past 20 years. Legislative intervention is needed to end the war on law enforcement.

The Back the Blue Act of 2025 (H.R. 4310) creates new federal crime categories that impose minimum penalties for killing, attempting to kill, or assaulting an officer of the law. This bipartisan bill, introduced by Reps. Don Bacon (NE-2) and Jared Golden (ME-2) and endorsed by the National Police Association (NPA), is now before the Judiciary Committee for consideration. The text for the bill is here. 

The bill extends legal protections to local and state officers whose agencies receive federal funding. With the Back the Blue Act of 2025, an offender convicted of attempting to kill a federal or federally funded officer would receive a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, and a 30-year minimum prison sentence -with the possibility of the death penalty- for killing an officer.

An offender convicted of assaulting an officer would be subject to a fine and a minimum mandatory prison sentence -from one to 20 years- increasing with the severity of the assault, weaponry involved, and injuries sustained.

"Law enforcement officers are being targeted for violence solely for wearing a uniform and badge. At a time when this violence has proliferated, they need and deserve added legal protections," said Paula Fitzsimmons, Legislative Director, National Police Association. "The Back the Blue Act of 2025 would send a clear message that assaults on officers will be met with the full force of the law," Fitzsimmons added.

The NPA extends its gratitude to Reps. Bacon and Golden for introducing the Back the Blue Act of 2025, a bill that imposes mandatory minimums for killing, attempting to kill, or assaulting a police officer; extends legal protections to local and state officers whose agencies receive federal funds; and provides federal grants to strengthen the relationship between officers and the communities they serve. We ask Congress to prioritize this bill.

About the National Police Association: The National Police Association (NPA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting law enforcement efforts through advocacy, education, and law. For more information, visit NationalPolice.org.

Media Contact:
Paula Fitzsimmons
[email protected]
302-469-1765

SOURCE National Police Association