House Judiciary Committee Approves More Bills to Protect and Honor Law Enforcement

Washington, D.C. – Adding to the House Judiciary Committee’s work to protect and aid law enforcement, today the Committee approved two additional bills to enhance the safety of probation officers and the public, and to honor the sacrifices of first responders killed in the line of duty. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement on today’s Committee approval of these bills: “Law enforcement officers across the country have a dangerous job and daily put their lives at risk for their fellow citizens. Sadly, many law enforcement officers are killed in the line of duty, leaving their families and communities devastated. We have a duty to honor their sacrifices and provide tools to prevent senseless acts of violence against the law enforcement community. The bills approved by the House Judiciary Committee today will help further these responsibilities. I thank Representatives Reichert and Larson for their work on these important bills.” The Committee approved the Probation Officer Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 1039), introduced by Representative David Reichert (R-Wash.), by a vote of 15-7. This bill protects public safety by giving probation officers the authority, while in the performance of their official duties, to arrest a person without a warrant if there is probable cause to believe that the person has forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, or interfered with the probation officer, or a fellow probation officer. “Probation officers run the risk of facing hostile environments or physical threats,” said Representative Reichert. “Despite encountering the same dangers faced by much of the law enforcement community, they have limited tools to protect themselves. This bipartisan, bicameral bill empowers probation officers to protect themselves and frees up time of local law enforcement officers who would otherwise have to accompany or provide backup for the officer. I am pleased today this bill moved one-step closer to the finish line and I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and give it their full support.” The Committee also approved the Honoring Hometown Heroes Act (H.R. 1892), sponsored by Representative John Larson (D-Conn.) by voice vote. This legislation honors law enforcement by permitting the American flag to be flown at half-staff when a first responder is killed in the line of duty. “First responders are the Nation’s front line of defense here at home,” said Representative Larson. “Whether they are responding to a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or traffic accident, our police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel are always the first to answer the call and selflessly put their lives in the harm’s way to protect our communities and our nation. In the unfortunate times when the ultimate sacrifice is given, they deserve the respect of having our Nation’s flag flown at half-staff. Amending the Flag Code is the least we can do. I would like to especially thank our Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Conyers, and our lead cosponsors, some of whom are first responders themselves.” The House Judiciary Committee has also approved the following police bills at a previous markup:

• The Thin Blue Line Act (H.R. 115): Authored by Representative Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), 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.
• The Rapid DNA Act of 2017 (H.R. 510): Introduced by Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), 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.
• The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Correctional Officer Self-Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 613): Sponsored by Representative David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-W.Va), this bill 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.