I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2437 
To protect law enforcement officers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2017 
Mr. POE of Texas (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. 
GRAVES of Louisiana, Mr. MCCAUL, and Mr. WILLIAMS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To protect law enforcement officers, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Back the Blue Act 
of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. 
(a) KILLING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.— 
(1) OFFENSE.—Chapter 51 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 May 18, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2437.IH
H2437
SSpencer on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
court reporters, and corrections, probation, and pa-
role officers; 
‘‘(5) the term ‘law enforcement officer’ means 
an individual, with arrest powers, involved in crime 
or juvenile delinquency control or reduction or en-
forcement of the laws; 
‘‘(6) the term ‘public agency’ includes a court 
system, the National Guard of a State to the extent 
the personnel of that National Guard are not in 
Federal service, and the defense forces of a State 
authorized by section 109 of title 32; and 
‘‘(7) the term ‘public safety officer’ means an 
individual serving a public agency in an official ca-
pacity, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, 
as a chaplain, or as a member of a rescue squad or 
ambulance crew. 
‘‘(b) OFFENSE.—It shall be unlawful for any person 
to— 
‘‘(1) kill, or attempt or conspire to kill— 
‘‘(A) a United States judge; 
‘‘(B) a Federal law enforcement officer; or 
‘‘(C) a federally funded public safety offi-
cer while that officer is engaged in official du-
ties, or on account of the performance of offi-
cial duties; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 May 18, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2437.IH
H2437
SSpencer on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2) kill a former United States judge, Federal 
law enforcement officer, or federally funded public 
safety officer on account of the past performance of 
official duties. 
‘‘(c) PENALTY.—Any person that violates subsection 
(b) shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not 
less than 10 years or for life, or, if death results, shall 
be sentenced to not less than 30 years and not more than 
life, or may be punished by death.’’. 
(2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 
for chapter 51 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘1123. Killing of law enforcement officers.’’. 
(b) ASSAULT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.— 
(1) OFFENSE.—Chapter 7 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 120. Assaults of law enforcement officers 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘feder-
ally funded State or local law enforcement officer’ means 
an individual involved in crime and juvenile delinquency 
control or reduction, or enforcement of the laws (including 
a police, corrections, probation, or parole officer) who 
works for a public agency (that receives Federal financial 
assistance) of a State of the United States or the District 
of Columbia. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 May 18, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2437.IH
H2437
SSpencer on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(b) OFFENSE.—It shall be unlawful to assault a fed-
erally funded State or local law enforcement officer while 
engaged in or on account of the performance of official 
duties, or assaults any person who formerly served as a 
federally funded State or local law enforcement officer on 
account of the performance of such person’s official duties 
during such service, or because of the actual or perceived 
status of the person as a federally funded State or local 
law enforcement officer. 
‘‘(c) PENALTY.—Any person that violates subsection 
(b) shall be subject to a fine under this title and— 
‘‘(1) if the assault resulted in bodily injury (as 
defined in section 1365), shall be imprisoned not less 
than 2 years and not more than 10 years; 
‘‘(2) if the assault resulted in substantial bodily 
injury (as defined in section 113), shall be impris-
oned not less than 5 years and not more than 20 
years; 
‘‘(3) if the assault resulted in serious bodily in-
jury (as defined in section 1365), shall be impris-
oned for not less than 10 years; 
‘‘(4) if a deadly or dangerous weapon was used 
during and in relation to the assault, shall be im-
prisoned for not less than 20 years; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 May 18, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2437.IH
H2437
SSpencer on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(5) shall be imprisoned for not more than 1 
year in any other case. 
‘‘(d) CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No prosecution of any of-
fense described in this section may be undertaken by 
the United States, except under the certification in 
writing of the Attorney General, or a designee, 
that— 
‘‘(A) the State does not have jurisdiction; 
‘‘(B) the State has requested that the Fed-
eral Government assume jurisdiction; 
‘‘(C) the verdict or sentence obtained pur-
suant to State charges left demonstratively 
unvindicated the Federal interest in eradicating 
bias-motivated violence; or 
‘‘(D) a prosecution by the United States is 
in the public interest and necessary to secure 
substantial justice. 
‘‘(2) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to limit the au-
thority of Federal officers, or a Federal grand jury, 
to investigate possible violations of this section. 
‘‘(e) STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) OFFENSES NOT RESULTING IN DEATH.— 
Except as provided in paragraph (2), no person shall 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 May 18, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2437.IH
H2437
SSpencer on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense 
under this section unless the indictment for such of-
fense is found, or the information for such offense 
is instituted, not later than 7 years after the date 
on which the offense was committed. 
‘‘(2) OFFENSES RESULTING IN DEATH.—An in-
dictment or information alleging that an offense 
under this section resulted in death may be found or 
instituted at any time without limitation.’’. 
(2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 
for chapter 7 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘120. Killing of law enforcement officers.’’. 
(c) FLIGHT TO AVOID PROSECUTION FOR KILLING 
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.— 
(1) OFFENSE.—Chapter 49 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 1075. Flight to avoid prosecution for killing law 
enforcement officials 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—It shall be unlawful for any person 
to move or travel in interstate or foreign commerce with 
intent to avoid prosecution, or custody or confinement 
after conviction, under the laws of the place from which 
the person flees or under section 1114 or 1123, for a crime 
consisting of the killing, an attempted killing, or a con-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 May 18, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2437.IH
H2437
SSpencer on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS