John Rutherford

This bill renames the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division to the United States Secret Service Police throughout federal law. The legislation, named after Officer Leslie Coffelt, updates terminology in multiple sections of the U.S. Code including provisions related to salary, employment, law enforcement authority, and personnel management. The changes are purely nomenclature and do not alter the duties, responsibilities, or funding of the organization. The bill affects the Secret Service Police officers and the federal agencies that work with or oversee them. No new funding or specific implementation timeline is mentioned in the legislation.

The FAST Act (Federal Agents Secure Travel Act) expands airport security screening benefits by making federal law enforcement officers eligible for free expedited security screening through the TSA PreCheck Program. The bill also extends this benefit to family members of federal law enforcement officers who are under 12 years old and traveling with the officer. The legislation amends existing federal transportation law to establish this eligibility without imposing costs on the officers or their young family members. The Transportation Security Administration Administrator will establish specific policies and procedures to implement the program. The bill uses the existing definition of "federal law enforcement officer" from the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008.

The PROTECT Florida Act establishes a moratorium on oil and gas leasing, exploration, and related activities (including seismic testing) off Florida's coasts through June 30, 2032. The bill extends an existing Gulf of Mexico moratorium that was set to expire in 2022 and creates a new Atlantic coast moratorium covering the Straits of Florida and the South Atlantic planning area south of Florida's boundary. The legislation, introduced by a bipartisan group of Florida representatives, aims to protect the state's recreation, tourism, and coastal economies by preventing federal oil and gas permits in these waters. No new federal funding is specified in the bill, as it primarily restricts future leasing activities rather than appropriating money. The moratorium remains in effect until the end of fiscal year 2032, unless Congress acts to modify or extend it.

This bill modernizes how the federal government collects and manages recreational fishing data by reforming the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) and establishing new oversight and flexibility for states. The legislation creates a National Academies standing committee to independently review MRIP data quality and triggers consultation requirements when data uncertainty exceeds 30 percent, while also authorizing states to develop their own fishing data collection programs with federal grants of up to $15 million annually through 2031—allowing state data to replace federal data for management decisions. The bill also mandates regular fish stock assessments, with previously studied stocks reassessed every 5 years and unstudied stocks evaluated within 3 years, and establishes competitive contracting for independent surveys. Finally, it increases transparency by requiring fishery councils to livestream and publicly record meetings and expand public participation in scientific advisory processes. These changes aim to improve the accuracy of fishing statistics and give both states and independent scientific entities greater roles in managing the nation's fish populations.

This bill establishes Regional School Safety Development Centers to help schools develop and improve safety plans based on research-backed best practices. The Department of Homeland Security would award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible organizations—including states, educational agencies, and colleges—to operate these centers, which would provide customized consulting services to schools on topics like violence prevention, mental health support, and emergency planning. The centers would also help schools identify and apply for federal or state funding to implement their safety plans and would train staff and families on new procedures. The bill authorizes $25 million annually from 2026 through 2030 for this program, though at least 5 percent of costs must be covered locally. The law explicitly prohibits using funds for firearms training and requires DHS to report to Congress every two years on the centers' effectiveness and whether they're reaching rural, tribal, and low-resourced communities.

Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder Act of 2025 or the HELPER Act of 2025This bill establishes a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, elementary and secondary school teachers, firefighters, or other first responders. Specifically, these individuals may be eligible for a first-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment. Instead, the mortgage is subject to a one-time, up-front mortgage insurance premium.

Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act of 2025This bill modifies criminal penalties for an offense involving the theft of a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, or from their business premises.Specifically, the bill does the following:increases from 10 to 20 years the maximum prison term, andcreates a 3- or 5-year mandatory minimum prison term for an offense that occurs during the commission of a burglary or robbery.An attempt to commit an offense is subject to the same penalties as a substantive offense.

The Protect and Serve Act of 2025 creates a new federal crime targeting violent acts against law enforcement officers. The legislation makes it a federal offense to intentionally cause serious bodily injury to someone because they are a law enforcement officer, with penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment; if the crime results in death or involves kidnapping or attempted killing, the penalty increases to life imprisonment. Federal prosecution is limited by a requirement that the Attorney General certify that either a state has requested federal involvement or that federal prosecution is necessary to serve the public interest and justice. The law applies when the crime involves interstate travel or commerce, occurs on federal property, involves weapons that crossed state lines, or targets a federal law enforcement officer. The bill defines law enforcement officers broadly to include federal, state, and local employees authorized to investigate crimes or manage incarceration.

Red Snapper Act of 2025This bill prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from restricting certain fishing activities in the South Atlantic until data from the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count study is integrated into the next South Atlantic red snapper Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment. The bill provides that NOAA may not issue an interim rule, final rule, or Secretarial Amendment establishing an area closure or a bottom fishing closure for specified species until (1) the study is complete; and (2) the study data is integrated into the first South Atlantic red snapper SEDAR stock assessment that is carried out after the bill's enactment. The limitation applies to fishing for species managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, including red snapper, grouper, and porgy.(Closures generally restrict recreational and commercial fishing to prevent overfishing and for other conservation purposes.)