The Senate passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act (S. 331) March 14 by a vote of 84-16. This important bill will make permanent the current classwide scheduling of all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule 1 drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), giving law enforcement the tools and resources necessary to combat and deter fentanyl in our nation’s communities. The House passed its version of the bill, H.R. 27 on Feb. 6. S. 331 varies slightly from the House-passed version due to some technical corrections. We are working with House leadership to quickly take up and pass S. 331 and send it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Register today for NAPO’s Annual Lobby Day & Legislative Awards Luncheon May 14th on Capitol Hill. This is a great opportunity to lobby Congressional Representatives and Senators on behalf of your members concerning the issues which affect law enforcement. Prior to lobbying Capitol Hill, plan to attend NAPO’s Legislative Breakfast for an update on NAPO’s legislative priorities, results to date from the 119th Congress, and to receive handouts to use during your Hill visits. Please register online by May1, 2025. For help setting up 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.
As the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) just secured the extradition from Mexico of a suspected leader of the MS-13 international criminal gang who was on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list, NAPO President Mick McHale sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel urging him to seek the return of Joanne Chesimard – and other violent fugitives like her – from Cuba on the “Most Wanted” list. Chesimard is the only woman on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” terrorist list for her role in the cold-blooded killing of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973. She has been living a free life in Cuba since 1984.
NAPO once again pledged its support for the Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act (H.R. 2094 / S. 978). This bill establishes a first-time home buyer program through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders.
NAPO met with new staff from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE). The goals of the OSLLE are to cultivate partnerships with state and local law enforcement organizations, ensure that our views are understood as DHS formulates policies and programs, foster information sharing, and provide oversight of law enforcement and terrorism-focused grants.
NAPO met with the staff of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) to discuss pro-law enforcement legislation we want to see moved during National Police Week 2025. NAPO discussed legislation to enhance officer safety by increasing penalties for the murder, attempted murder, or assault of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, the LEOSA Reform Act, a bill to cover exposure-related cancers under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program, and the Reauthorizing Support and Treatment for Officers in Crisis Act. Many of these bills have been joint law enforcement priorities for years, but Congress has failed to act on them.
On March 20, NAPO Director of Governmental Affairs Andy Edmiston met with staff from the National Security Council to discuss our ask that the President reimpose his proposed ban on duty-free de minimis treatment for goods from China and to use your existing executive authority granted to the President by Congress in the Tariff Act of 1930 to end de minimis for all commercial shipments from all countries.
You can now see if your U.S. Representatives and Senators support NAPO’s priority legislation on our new interactive Sponsor/Cosponsor map on NAPO's website. The map and Legislative Positions document are continually updated to reflect the work NAPO is doing on Capitol Hill.
Please click here for the full March 21, 2025 Washington Report for more details.
