Don’t Miss Out! Register by May 1 to attend NAPO’s Annual Lobby Day & Legislative Luncheon on Capitol Hill on May 14th to lobby Congressional Representatives and Senators on behalf of your members concerning the issues which affect law enforcement. Prior to lobbying, plan to attend NAPO’s Legislative Breakfast for an update on NAPO’s legislative priorities, results from the 119th Congress, and to receive handouts to use during your Hill visits. Please register online or complete the registration form and return to NAPO at aedmiston@napo.org or eloranger@napo.org by May 1, 2025. For assistance in arranging your Capitol Hill meetings, contact NAPO’s Director of Government Affairs, Andy Edmiston, no later than May 1 at aedmiston@napo.org or (703) 549-0775.
On April 2, President Trump signed two Executive Orders that effectively close the de minimis loophole: Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports and Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits. The first Executive Order eliminates duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from China starting May 2, 2025, a significant step to countering the illicit flow of fentanyl and synthetic opioids into our country through the international mail system. The President’s second executive action makes imports from all countries that are subject to reciprocal tariffs (virtually all countries) ineligible for de minimis once adequate systems are in place to efficiently process and collect duty revenue. However, the order seems to tie de minimis treatment to reciprocal tariffs, so if the Administration lifts the reciprocal tariffs, then U.S. imports from most countries would be eligible for de minimis once again.
NAPO and our national law enforcement coalition continue to work with the Senate Judiciary Committee on pro-law enforcement legislation to be moved during National Police Week 2025. Legislation discussed includes: the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, the Reauthorizing Support and Treatment for Officers in Crisis Act, the Strong Communities Act, the Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act, and the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act. Many of these bills have been joint law enforcement priorities for years, but Congress has not passed them. The House scheduled the LEOSA Reform Act and the Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act for floor action during Police Week, both of which are NAPO priorities and passed the House last Congress.
The Blue Alert Advisory Group, of which NAPO is an original member, in conjunction with the Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, convened April 22 to discuss continued work to establish Blue Alert systems in all 50 states. Twelve states and Washington, D.C. do not have Blue Alert networks. Getting Blue Alert plans up and running across all 50 states is a NAPO priority to ensure the National Blue Alert Network we fought to get enacted, through the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act, works efficiently and effectively to protect officers from harm.
NAPO worked with Congressmen Pete Stauber (R-MN) and Don Bacon (R-NE) on the reintroduction of the Lifesaving Gear for Police Act (H.R. 2654), which would prohibit enforcement of any executive actions that limit state and local law enforcement’s access surplus military equipment.
NAPO again endorsed the Strong Communities Act, which would allow for COPS Hiring Program funds to be used for local law enforcement recruits to attend schools or academies if the recruits agree to serve in law enforcement agency precincts where they live. The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program has assisted more than 13,000 jurisdictions with over $14 billion to hire more than 135,000 community police officers since 1994.
NAPO worked closely with Senator John Cornyn’s (R-TX) staff to develop the Public Safety Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury Health Act (S. 1409), which the Senator reintroduced with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). With the increase in physical attacks on law enforcement, NAPO feels it is vital that the impacts of concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) be studied, and best practices be disseminated to public safety agencies, officers and their families, and medical personnel to help recognize, prevent, and treat such officer injuries.
Please click here to read the April 25, 2025 Washington Report for more details on these and other legislation impacting law enforcement.
