House Judiciary Committee Approves Bills to Protect and Assist Law Enforcement Officers

Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved several bills to ensure criminals who murder law enforcement officers face justice, help law enforcement identify the guilty and free the innocent, protect federal corrections officers’ safety and Second Amendment rights, and enhance public safety. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement on today’s Committee approval of these bills: “Every day, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers around the country protect their fellow citizens from harm, keep the peace, and carry out justice. As they serve and protect us, we have a duty to ensure they have the tools needed to do their jobs and that our laws honor their sacrifices. The bills approved by the House Judiciary Committee today do just that and should be brought up for a vote in the House of Representatives.” The Committee first approved the Thin Blue Line Act (H.R. 115), authored by Representative Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), by a vote of 19-12. This legislation adds the murder of a state or local police officer as an aggravating factor for a jury to consider in deciding whether to impose the death penalty in a capital case. “We owe a great debt to police officers and first responders across the country,” Representative Buchanan said. “Vicious attacks against law enforcement officers must end. The strong committee vote today sends a clear message to those who target police – you will be held accountable.” Second, the Committee approved the Rapid DNA Act of 2017 (H.R. 510), authored by Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), by voice vote. This bill helps identify the guilty and free the innocent by allowing Rapid DNA analysis machines to be used at local police stations. Rapid DNA technology expedites DNA analysis for suspect identification purposes and allows local law enforcement to accurately identify a suspect within hours, as opposed to weeks when evidence is shipped off to a lab. “Today’s passage of the Rapid DNA Act out of the House Judiciary Committee is a promising development that brings us one step closer to safer communities throughout the nation,” said Representative Sensenbrenner. “Rapid DNA technology is an effective tool for law enforcement that will help quickly identify arrestees and offenders, as well as reduce the overwhelming backlog in forensic DNA analysis. It will also make crime fighting efforts more efficient and help prevent future crimes from occurring, which saves time and taxpayer dollars. I look forward to this smart legislation moving forward to a vote on the House floor.” And third, the Committee approved the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Correctional Officer Self-Protection Actof 2017 (H.R. 613), authored by Representative David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-W.Va), by voice vote. This legislation helps protect federal law enforcement officers and their Second Amendment rights by directing BOP to provide a location at every federal prison facility, outside of the secure perimeter, for corrections officers to store their personal firearms. It is named after Lt. Osvaldo Albarati, who was shot and killed on his way home from work. “With six Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities in West Virginia, I have heard from and met with federal correctional officers on prison safety issues countless times. In those meetings, it was made explicitly clear that these brave men and women have dangerous jobs and they risk their personal safety to keep our communities safe. Our legislation is a much-needed, common sense measure that will allow federal correctional officers to better protect themselves as they commute to and from work and honors the memory of  Lieutenant Albarati,” said Representative McKinley. More information on today’s markup can be found here.