Back the Blue Act of 2025

The Back the Blue Act of 2025 is a broad, multi-part bill that strengthens federal criminal penalties for violence against law enforcement and certain public safety officers, expands protections and self-defense allowances for officers, creates new federal offenses (including a flight-to-evade-prosecution crime), adds an aggravated-factor for federal death-penalty cases involving officers, tightens federal habeas review in related cases, and funds initiatives aimed at improving trust between police and communities. It also contemplates broad authority for law enforcement to carry firearms in more settings and expands who is protected under the law (notably including federally funded public safety officers and certain volunteers). The bill appears to push federalization in several areas and shifts some discretion to federal prosecutors and the Department of Justice, while creating new grant programs to support community-police relations. Because the bill is introduced and sponsors are listed as Mr. Bacon and Mr. Golden of Maine, its exact fate is uncertain. If enacted, its provisions would affect federal law, and in some cases state and local law, by redefining offenses, penalties, and procedural rules related to violence against law enforcement and related public safety personnel.