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119-s-1766119th Congress

Protect Our Heroes Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

Introduced

Summary

Creates new federal crimes protecting public safety officers. The bill makes killing or assaulting judges, law enforcement, firefighters, and other public safety officers distinct federal offenses and pairs those crimes with strict penalties and sentencing upgrades for cases that involve luring or weapons.

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  • Public safety officers and their families gain explicit federal protections and penalties when attacks are tied to official duties. Killing carries fines and prison terms of at least 10 years up to life, a 30-year minimum if death results, and a possible death penalty in appropriate cases.
  • People who assault officers face a graded federal offense with escalating prison terms. Penalties range from 2–10 years for bodily injury, 5–20 years for substantial bodily injury, 10 or more years for serious bodily injury, 20 years if a deadly or dangerous weapon is used, and up to 1 year in lesser cases.
  • Sentencing policy is tightened. The United States Sentencing Commission must add at least five offense-level enhancements when a defendant lures a victim to a location to kill or assault, while seeking consistency with other guidelines and allowing for mitigating circumstances.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Defines who is a public safety officer

If enacted, the bill would define who counts as judges, law enforcement, firefighters, and public safety officers. Volunteer firefighters and designated public-employee ambulance or rescue crew members would be included. A "federally funded public safety officer" would be someone who works for a public agency that receives Federal financial assistance and is part of a State, DC, territory, tribe, or local government.

New federal crime for assaulting officers

If enacted, the bill would make it a federal crime to assault or attempt to assault current or former judges or public safety officers in certain interstate or commerce-linked cases. Covered cases include travel across state lines, use of interstate commerce, or weapons that traveled in interstate commerce. Conviction would bring fines and prison terms that rise with harm: 2–10 years for bodily injury; 5–20 years for substantial injury; at least 10 years for serious injury; at least 20 years if a deadly or dangerous weapon was used; otherwise up to 1 year.

New federal crime for killing officers

If enacted, the bill would make it a federal crime to kill, attempt to kill, or conspire to kill a current or former judge or public safety officer in certain interstate or commerce-linked cases. It would apply when the conduct involves travel across state lines, use of interstate commerce, or weapons that traveled in interstate commerce. Conviction would bring fines and prison of at least 10 years up to life; if death results the sentence would be 30 years to life, and the death penalty could apply where allowed.

Higher sentences for luring victims

If enacted, the bill would require the U.S. Sentencing Commission to increase sentences by at least 5 offense levels when a court finds beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant lured a victim to be assaulted or killed. The Commission would have to try to keep guidelines consistent with others, avoid duplicative punishment, and may allow exceptions for strong mitigating circumstances.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

AK • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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