Sponsors (26)
The bill strengthens federal ability to investigate and prosecute interstate or federally connected assaults—improving accountability and investigative reach—while expanding federal criminal authority in ways that may duplicate state roles, raise costs, and permit politicized AG interventions.
People assaulted in attacks that cross state lines or implicate federal interests—including law enforcement officers—are more likely to face federal charges and penalties, reducing accountability gaps caused by jurisdictional limits.
Federal agencies and grand juries retain authority to investigate suspected violations and preserve evidence even when prosecution awaits Attorney General certification, helping maintain investigative continuity.
State and local governments: the bill expands federal criminal jurisdiction into areas traditionally handled by states, risking duplicated prosecutions and federalism conflicts.
Law enforcement and state governments: the Attorney General’s broad 'public interest' certification discretion could produce uneven or politically influenced decisions about when the federal government intervenes.
Taxpayers: moving prosecutions to federal courts and imposing potentially longer federal sentences could increase costs for the federal prison system and federal taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 21, 2025 by Thomas Roland Tillis · Last progress January 21, 2025
Creates a new federal crime that makes it illegal to knowingly assault a law enforcement officer and cause serious bodily injury (or attempt to do so) when certain interstate or federal jurisdictional links exist. It sets federal penalties (up to 10 years, with harsher penalties including life imprisonment for death or related severe offenses), defines who counts as a law enforcement officer, lists five alternative jurisdictional nexus grounds, and requires a written certification by the Attorney General (or designee) before federal prosecution can proceed in most cases while preserving federal investigative authority. Also establishes a short title for the Act and directs a clerical amendment to the federal criminal code to add the new offense to the table of sections.