Sponsor
Bernardo Moreno
Senator · R-OH
Senator · R-OH
The bill makes assaults on federal officers subject to clearer federal coverage and much harsher mandatory penalties—strengthening protection and enforcement for federal personnel—while reducing state discretion, expanding prosecutorial reach, and increasing risks of disproportionate punishment and higher taxpayer costs.
Federal law-enforcement officers and federal employees gain stronger protection: assaults causing bodily harm carry a mandatory minimum 20-year sentence, increasing deterrence and protection for those doing federal work.
The Department of Justice, federal courts, and prosecutors get clearer statutory scope by explicitly defining and cross-referencing Section 111, reducing prosecutorial ambiguity and making enforcement more consistent.
A uniform federal rule (preemption of state law) simplifies prosecution of assaults on federal officers and produces more consistent outcomes across states for incidents involving federal duties.
People convicted under the broadened federal standard — including low‑culpability defendants and vulnerable populations — face much longer mandatory terms and less sentencing flexibility, producing disproportionate punishments and increasing long-term incarceration costs borne by taxpayers.
The bill's sweeping federal preemption of related state laws reduces state and local control over criminal enforcement and can displace state prosecutions and local discretion.
Broadening cross-references and coverage increases criminal-liability uncertainty and may expand DOJ charging and sentencing leverage, raising risks of overcriminalization and unequal application without new procedural guardrails.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Raises the federal mandatory minimum to 20 years for assaults causing bodily harm to federal officers, broadens Section 111 coverage, and preempts related state laws.
Official title: Amend title 18, United States Code, to impose mandatory minimum penalties for assaulting officers and employees of the United States, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 14, 2025 by Bernardo Moreno · Last progress May 14, 2025
Raises the federal prison mandatory minimum for assaults on U.S. officers or employees that cause bodily harm to at least 20 years, clarifies that the federal statute applies only to assaults on federal officers acting in official duties, and expressly preempts state laws on the same conduct. The change expands the scope of the federal penalty reference used elsewhere in federal sentencing law and applies only to offenses committed on or after enactment.