The Protect Our Heroes Act creates two new federal crimes targeting violence against law enforcement officers, firefighters, judges, and other public safety officials. The bill makes it a federal offense to kill or assault these officers while they are performing their official duties or because of past official actions, with jurisdiction applying when the crime involves interstate travel, interstate commerce, or affects federal officers and judges. Penalties for killing a public safety officer range from 10 years to life imprisonment, or death if the victim is killed, while assaults carry sentences ranging from one year to 20 years depending on the severity of injury and weapons used. The bill also directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to add at least 5-level sentence enhancements when a defendant lures an officer to a location specifically to assault or kill them. The legislation affects federal law enforcement, state and local officers whose agencies receive federal funding, judges, prosecutors, court staff, firefighters, paramedics, and chaplains.
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