Back the Blue Act of 2021
Latest action · Nov 9, 2021 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 11, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Back the Blue Act of 2021
This bill establishes new criminal offenses for killing, assaulting, and fleeing to avoid prosecution for killing a judge, law enforcement officer, or public safety officer.
Additionally, the bill
- expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include the killing or attempted killing of a law enforcement officer, judge, prosecutor, or firefighter or other first responder;
- broadens the authority of federal law enforcement officers to carry firearms; and
- limits federal court review of challenges to state court convictions for killing a public safety officer or judge.
Finally, it directs the Department of Justice to make grants to law enforcement agencies and nongovernmental organizations to promote trust and improve relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
Cosponsors 22
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 11, 2021 to May 17, 2022; 7 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-OH | Bill Johnson | Original | May 11, 2021 |
| R-CA | Doug LaMalfa | Original | May 11, 2021 |
| R-PA | Guy Reschenthaler | Original | May 11, 2021 |
| R-AL | Jerry L. Carl | Original | May 11, 2021 |
| R-NV | Mark E. Amodei | Original | May 11, 2021 |
| R-OH | Robert E. Latta | Original | May 11, 2021 |
| R-OH | Steve Stivers | Original | May 11, 2021 |
| R-MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | May 12, 2021 | |
| R-PA | Daniel Meuser | May 12, 2021 | |
| R-FL | Gus M. Bilirakis | May 12, 2021 | |
| R-TX | Lance Gooden | May 12, 2021 | |
| R-IN | Larry Bucshon | May 12, 2021 | |
| R-NY | Nicole Malliotakis | May 12, 2021 | |
| R-VA | Robert J. Wittman | May 12, 2021 | |
| R-FL | Bill Posey | May 13, 2021 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred May 11, 2021 |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Nov 9, 2021 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Nov 9, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
- May 11, 2021Introduced in House
- May 11, 2021Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H1008 | Gus M. Bilirakis R-FL | Feb 7, 2022 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2276 | Gus M. Bilirakis R-FL | May 13, 2021 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2229–H2233 | Don Bacon R-NE, Ed Perlmutter D-CO, Guy Reschenthaler R-PA, Troy E. Nehls R-TX | May 12, 2021 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 81, May 11, 2021, page H2195.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 117-43 | MEMBER DAY HEARING189 pages | Judiciary Committee | Oct 22, 2021 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 355 | Back the Blue Act of 2023 | Reintroduced Bill | Jan 13, 2023 |
| S 1599 | Back the Blue Act of 2021 | Related bill | May 12, 2021 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To protect law enforcement officers, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Back the Blue Act of 2021
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Civil actions and liability
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Criminal procedure and sentencing
- Detention of persons
- Firearms and explosives
- Fires
- First responders and emergency personnel
- Government buildings, facilities, and property
- Judges
- Law enforcement administration and funding
- Law enforcement officers
- Legal fees and court costs
- Violent crime
- Worker safety and health
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 11, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
