Golden, Bacon introduce Back the Blue Act to protect federal law enforcement, judges, public safety officers

WASHINGTON — Congressmen Jared Golden (D-ME-02) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced bipartisan legislation today to ensure those who risk their lives to protect others are afforded greater protections.

The Back the Blue Act creates new criminal provisions regarding the killing of, or attempting or conspiring to kill, federal law enforcement officers, U.S. judges and federally funded public safety officers. It also opens new streams of federal funding to strengthen the relationship between police and communities.

“At a time when violence against law enforcement is trending upward, we must do more to protect the protectors,” Golden said. “This bill takes a strategic two-pronged approach: First, it makes clear with new criminal provisions that violence against federal law enforcement officers, judges and other federally funded public safety officers will not be tolerated. Second, it opens new federal funds to strengthen the relationship between officers and the communities they serve and protect. It’s a tough, smart bill to ensure those who attack or kill officers pay a steep price, and to help reduce violence against officers before it happens.”

“Those who protect our communities – whether it’s on the beat, from the bench, behind a hose, or performing CPR – deserve extra protection from violence directed at them, including assault, intent to kill, or conspiracy to kill,” said Rep. Bacon. “The anger and violence have risen against these community guardians and this legislation is needed now. I am looking forward to working with Rep. Golden to get this long-overdue legislation passed into law.”

The bill earned the support of Maine State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). 

“On behalf of the Maine Fraternal Order of Police, we would like to thank Congressman Golden for being the lead sponsor of the Back the Blue Act,” said Michael Edes, executive director of the Maine FOP.“This bill creates new criminal provisions that focus on protecting the dedicated men and women that, every day, stand the thin blue line between good and evil. Congressman Golden has consistently had the backs of Maine’s law enforcement officers, and we appreciate his ongoing efforts to protect the protectors.”

Other federally funded public safety officers covered by the legislation include firefighters, chaplains, and members of a rescue squad or ambulance crew, among others. The bill would impose a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years if a death occurs, and the offender would be subject to the death penalty. Otherwise, the offender would face a minimum sentence of 10 years.

In addition, the legislation creates a new federal crime with escalating penalties, including mandatory minimums for assaulting a federally funded law enforcement officer, based on the extent of any injury and the use of a dangerous weapon. An offender who attempted to flee from justice to avoid prosecution would be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.

Finally, it creates a specific aggravating factor for federal death penalty prosecutions and expands self-defense and Second Amendment rights for law enforcement officers. 

The full text of the Back the Blue Act can be found here.

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