Recently, Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01) signed on as a cosponsor of several pieces of legislation to provide support to and protect Law Enforcement Officers and other First Responders around the country.

“One of my top priorities in Congress is ensuring that our Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders have the support and resources they need to keep all of us safe,” said LaLota. “Each of these bills is an important step to supporting our heroes who put their lives on the line every day. Suffolk County is home to an active community of current and retired First Responders and, as the son and grandson of Police Officers, I am proud to represent them in Congress.”

Background:

H.Res. 69 would recognize the dedication and devotion of Law Enforcement personnel and states that calls to “defund”, “disband”, “dismantle”, or “abolish” the police should be condemned.

H.R. 130, the Thin Blue Line Act, would toughen penalties against anyone who murders police officers and other first responders. The bill, which passed the U.S. House in the 115th Congress, would make the murder or attempted murder of a first responder an “aggravating” factor in death penalty determinations.

H.R. 355, the Back the Blue Act, would increase the penalties for criminals who intentionally target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.

H.R. 743, the Protect and Serve Act, would establish a new criminal offense for knowingly assaulting a law enforcement officer and causing serious bodily injury in circumstances that affect interstate commerce.

H.R. 795, the Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act, would establish the first federal program to provide local governments with resources to purchase containment devices and aims to help state and local governments purchase containment devices, which are used to safely store narcotics and preserve them for evidentiary use, and provide subsequent training to reduce first responders’ risk of secondary exposure to lethal substances.