Back the Blue Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator John Cornyn
Introduced
Summary
Stronger federal penalties for killing or attacking judges and public safety officers. The bill creates new federal crimes and raises penalties for murders, assaults, and related flight offenses against judges, federal law enforcement, and federally funded public safety officers.
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- Law enforcement, judges, and federally funded public safety officers face a new federal murder offense that bans killing, attempting, or conspiring to kill these officials; penalties include fines and prison terms of at least 10 years or life, and if death results penalties of at least 30 years up to life and, in some cases, death.
- Federally funded state and local law enforcement officers and former officers are covered by a new assault offense with penalties from 2 to 20 years when injury or a weapon is involved and up to 1 year in other cases. Federal prosecutions require written certification by the Attorney General and a 7-year statute of limitations for non-death offenses.
- The bill also makes interstate or foreign travel to avoid prosecution for killing covered officials a federal crime carrying at least 10 years in addition to other penalties and expands related protections in habeas corpus, damages, and self-defense regimes.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Stronger federal penalties for judges and officers
If enacted, this bill would create new federal crimes and tougher penalties to protect judges, federal law enforcement, and state or local public safety officers who work for agencies that get federal funds. It would make killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a covered judge or officer a federal offense with fines and prison of not less than 10 years or for life. If death results, the bill would require not less than 30 years and up to life, and could permit the death penalty in certain cases. It would also create a federal assault crime for "federally funded State or local law enforcement officers" with tiered penalties: 2–10 years for bodily injury; 5–20 years for substantial bodily injury; at least 10 years for serious bodily injury; at least 20 years if a deadly or dangerous weapon is used; and up to 1 year in other cases. Federal prosecutions for assaults would generally require a written certification from the Attorney General. The bill would also make interstate or foreign travel to avoid prosecution for these killing offenses a federal crime with at least a 10-year prison term in addition to other penalties. The bill would preserve federal investigative authority and set a 7-year statute of limitations for non-death offenses and no time limit for death offenses.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
John Cornyn
TX • R
Cosponsors
Jim Banks
IN • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
John Barrasso
WY • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Marsha Blackburn
TN • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
John Boozman
AR • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Katie Britt
AL • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Ted Budd
NC • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Shelley Capito
WV • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Kevin Cramer
ND • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Mike Crapo
ID • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Ted Cruz
TX • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Steve Daines
MT • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Joni Ernst
IA • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Deb Fischer
NE • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Lindsey Graham
SC • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Chuck Grassley
IA • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Bill Hagerty
TN • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Cindy Hyde-Smith
MS • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
James Justice
WV • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
John Kennedy
LA • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Mike Lee
UT • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Cynthia Lummis
WY • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Roger Marshall
KS • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
David McCormick
PA • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Markwayne Mullin
OK • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Pete Ricketts
NE • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
James Risch
ID • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Mike Rounds
SD • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Rick Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Tim Sheehy
MT • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Tommy Tuberville
AL • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Todd Young
IN • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Bill Cassidy
LA • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
James Lankford
OK • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Tim Scott
SC • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Thomas Tillis
NC • R
Sponsored 12/4/2025
Dan Sullivan
AK • R
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Ashley Moody
FL • R
Sponsored 12/15/2025
John Hoeven
ND • R
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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