# 119-hr-378: Thin Blue Line Act

119-hr-378, Thin Blue Line Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] (R-FL); status introduced (as of 2026-10-03).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-378
- As of: 2026-10-03
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-378
- Congress: 119
- Title: Thin Blue Line Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-14
- Sponsor: Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] (R-FL)
- Cosponsors: 43
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-03

## Summary

**Would add a federal aggravating factor that can increase the chance of a death sentence when the victim is a law enforcement officer or other first responder.** It would apply when the victim was performing official duties, was targeted because of those duties, or was killed because of their status as a public official or employee. - Law enforcement and first responders: Covers people authorized to prevent, detain, investigate, prosecute, incarcerate, apprehend, or arrest, and also includes firefighters and other first responders. - Prosecutors and defendants in federal capital cases: Gives prosecutors an additional statutory basis to seek the death penalty in qualifying killings or targeting. - Sentencing process: Adds an aggravating factor that judges and juries would consider during capital sentencing when the victim fits the bill's definitions.

## Cosponsors (43)

- Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1] (R-AR), 2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] (R-LA), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22] (R-TX), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4] (R-MS), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12] (R-IL), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1] (R-NY), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15] (R-TX), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9] (R-IN), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13] (R-FL), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-9] (R-NC), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22] (R-CA), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23] (R-CA), 2025-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2] (R-IN), 2025-01-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] (R-NY), 2025-01-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-16] (R-IL), 2025-01-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7] (R-NJ), 2025-03-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15] (R-OH), 2025-03-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-26] (R-FL), 2025-03-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gimenez, Carlos A. [R-FL-28] (R-FL), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17] (R-TX), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2] (R-KY), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2] (R-NV), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kustoff, David [R-TN-8] (R-TN), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25] (R-TX), 2025-04-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2025-04-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2025-04-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] (R-FL), 2025-04-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6] (R-IN), 2025-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5] (R-VA), 2025-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL), 2025-08-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41] (R-CA), 2025-09-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9] (R-PA), 2025-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gonzales, Tony [R-TX-23] (R-TX), 2025-10-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] (R-SC), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14] (R-NC), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fry, Russell [R-SC-7] (R-SC), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3] (R-WI), 2025-12-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fedorchak, Julie [R-ND-At Large] (R-ND), 2026-01-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2] (R-TN), 2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stronger penalties for killing officers: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would add a new aggravating factor for federal death-penalty cases. Prosecutors would be able to use it when a defendant killed or tried to kill someone authorized to enforce the law, a firefighter, or another first responder. It would apply if the victim was on duty, was targ…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-703: Main Street Tax Certainty Act
- 119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-452: Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act
- 119-hr-1502: North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-378 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/378)

## Related
- [119-hr-703: Main Street Tax Certainty Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-703)
- [119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1628)
- [119-hr-452: Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-452)
- [119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-425)
- [119-hr-1502: North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1502)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-378 (as of 2026-10-03).