Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act

Summary

Creates a new federal crime to punish people who publicly post the name of a federal law enforcement officer when done with the intent to obstruct a criminal investigation or an immigration enforcement operation. It defines who counts as a "Federal law enforcement officer," sets penalties (a fine, up to 5 years in prison, or both), and updates related cross-references in Title 18 of the U.S. Code. The measure adds the new offense as a subsection of an existing obstruction statute, clarifies the covered officers (including those who enforce federal criminal or immigration law), and directs technical edits to the title and three other statutory provisions so the new language is integrated into the criminal code.

• Creates a federal crime for publicly making a federal law enforcement officer’s name available when done with intent to obstruct a federal criminal or immigration investigation.
• Defines "Federal law enforcement officer" to include officers, agents, or employees authorized to enforce federal criminal or immigration law.
• Requires proof of intent to obstruct; incidental or benign publication without that intent is not within the statutory text.
• Sets penalties of a fine, imprisonment up to five years, or both.
• Directs conforming and technical amendments to the Title 18 table of sections and to three enumerated provisions so references to the new offense are included.
• Does not provide new funding, create programs, or include an explicit effective date in the text provided.
• Raises potential free-speech and enforcement questions because it criminalizes specific public disclosures tied to obstructive intent.
• Applies at the federal level and would be enforced by federal prosecutors.
• Targets conduct commonly described as doxxing when done with the required obstructive intent.