Medal of Sacrifice Act

This bill creates a Medal of Sacrifice to honor law enforcement officers and first responders who are killed in the line of duty. The President will award the medal to eligible local, state, or federal personnel. If an agency makes an official finding that the person acted outside their duties or against policy, they cannot receive the medal. In those cases, a new commission will review the circumstances and make the final decision.

It sets up a 12‑member, unpaid commission of law enforcement and first responder representatives. The President must appoint members within 150 days after enactment. Members serve five‑year terms and can serve up to two terms. The commission advises on the medal’s design and how it is presented, promotes the program, and makes final eligibility decisions in disputed cases. It ends when the President decides the commission has finished its work. The bill also directs the first medals to be given to Deputy Ralph Waller, Deputy Ignacio Diaz, and Deputy Luis Paez, and includes a detailed description of the medal’s design.

• Who is affected: Families of fallen law enforcement officers and first responders at the local, state, and federal levels.
• What changes: The President issues a Medal of Sacrifice; a 12‑member unpaid commission is created to guide the medal and decide edge cases; the first medals are named for three deputies; the medal’s design is specified in the bill.
• When: Commission appointments are due within 150 days after enactment; terms last five years; the commission ends after it finishes its work.