# 119-s-5214: Protect and Serve Act of 2026

119-s-5214, Protect and Serve Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC); status introduced (as of 2026-08-29).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5214
- As of: 2026-08-29
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5214
- Congress: 119
- Title: Protect and Serve Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-03
- Sponsor: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-29

## Summary

**Creates a federal crime for killing or attempting to kill a law enforcement officer when the act is motivated by the officer's status.** The bill would set criminal penalties, list specific circumstances that trigger federal jurisdiction, and require Attorney General certification before many federal prosecutions proceed. - Offenders: A person who kills an officer for that reason could face prison for any term of years or life. Attempting to kill an officer and causing serious bodily injury carries up to 20 years in prison. - When federal law applies: The bill lists five circumstances that can make an attack federal, including actions that cross state lines, use channels or instruments of interstate or foreign commerce, use a weapon that traveled in interstate commerce, interfere with interstate commerce or its economic activity, or involve a federal law enforcement officer. - Federal-state balance: The Attorney General must certify that a State requested federal jurisdiction or that federal prosecution is needed to secure substantial justice. The bill names factors the AG should weigh like premeditation, intended outcome, sentencing under state law, collateral harm, and public safety. - Definitions and scope: The text defines "law enforcement officer" to mean a public employee authorized to prevent, detect, or investigate crime or to detain or incarcerate people, and it treats U.S. States to include the United States, the District of Columbia, and territories.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] (R-ID), 2026-08-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-08-05T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New federal crime for killing officers: benefit, medium. This bill would create a new federal crime for willfully killing a law enforcement officer because of the officer's status. A person who kills such an officer would face any term of years or life in prison and fines. A person who attempts to kill an officer and causes serious bodily injury would fa…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-2461: Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2025
- 119-s-237: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025
- 119-s-199: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide special rules for the taxation of certain residents of Taiwan with income from sources within the…
- 119-s-1547: America the Beautiful Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5214 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5214)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-2461: Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2461)
- [119-s-237: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-237)
- [119-s-199: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide special rules for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-199)
- [119-s-1547: America the Beautiful Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1547)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5214 (as of 2026-08-29).