Larry Henderson Act

The Larry Henderson Act would drastically raise penalties for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees of the United States. It amends 18 U.S.C. § 111 to replace existing language with a provision that imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 20 years in prison whenever such an assault occurs and includes bodily harm or bodily injury. The bill removes the current subsection (b), re-designates a new subsection (c) as (b), and adds a new subsection (c) titled “Exclusive Applicability.” This new subsection clarifies that the penalties apply only to acts against federal officers or employees who are performing or acting on the performance of official federal duties, and it asserts that this federal provision supersedes state laws in this area. The bill also makes a minor conforming change to cross-reference language in another section and states that the act applies to offenses committed on or after enactment. In short, if enacted, the bill would create a strict federal mandate: anyone who assaults a federal officer or employee while they are performing duties could face a minimum of 20 years in federal prison, with the law preempting state penalties for these offenses and applying only to post-enactment conduct.