Thin Blue Line Act

Thin Blue Line Act

This bill expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 83 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 83

 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide enhanced penalties 
  for convicted murderers who kill or target America's public safety 
                               officers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 14, 2025

Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Scott of Florida, 
Mr. Boozman, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Budd, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. 
   Lankford) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide enhanced penalties 
  for convicted murderers who kill or target America's public safety 
                               officers.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Thin Blue Line Act''.

SEC. 2. AGGRAVATING FACTORS FOR DEATH PENALTY.

    Section 3592(c) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after paragraph (16) the following:
            ``(17) Killing or targeting of law enforcement officers.--
                    ``(A) The defendant killed or attempted to kill, in 
                a circumstance described in subparagraph (B), a person 
                who is authorized by law--
                            ``(i) to engage in or supervise the 
                        prevention, detention, investigation, or 
                        prosecution of, or the incarceration of any 
                        person for, any criminal violation of law;
                            ``(ii) to apprehend, arrest, or prosecute 
                        an individual for any criminal violation of 
                        law; or
                            ``(iii) to be a firefighter or other first 
                        responder.
                    ``(B) A circumstance referred to in subparagraph 
                (A) is that the person was killed or targeted--
                            ``(i) while he or she was engaged in the 
                        performance of his or her official duties;
                            ``(ii) because of the performance of his or 
                        her official duties; or
                            ``(iii) because of his or her status as a 
                        public official or employee.''.
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