On Sept. 24, NAPO attended a Summit on Victims of Violent Crime with Attorney General Todd Blanche, Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, White House Border Czar Tom Homan, FBI Director Kash Patel, and other top administration officials. NAPO has long warned that repeatedly arresting and releasing offenders endangers the public and law enforcement officers. Justice Department officials announced the Assisting Neighborhoods and Governments with Enforcement of Laws (ANGEL) Grant Program during the Summit. The $25 million grant program supports state and local law enforcement activities focused on violent crime, gangs, drug and human trafficking, and immigration-related enforcement.
NAPO met with the staff of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) about moving the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Expansion Act through the House after the elections. NAPO urged the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, chaired by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), to reauthorize the First Responder Network (FirstNet) Authority as soon as practicable in a letter sent to Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on Sept. 30.
The Senate adjourned Sept. 30, joining the House for a weeks-long recess through Nov. 9 so lawmakers can campaign in their districts. After the election, Congress will reconvene for a busy lame-duck session that includes two must-pass measures: fiscal year 2027 appropriations and the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.
On Sept. 14, the House passed the National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Act (H.R. 309). NAPO is urging the Senate to swiftly take up the bill and pass it as soon as possible after lawmakers are back from recess. The legislation would establish a formal program within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The program would offer grants honoring officers killed in the line of duty, collect data on officer fatalities and injuries, increase public understanding and support for law enforcement, improve officer safety and wellness, and strengthen the bond between law enforcement and the communities they serve. NAPO sent a letter Oct. 1 to Senate leadership and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee seeking quick action on this bill.
On Sept. 30, the Senate passed the NAPO-supported Safe Access to Cash Act (S. 3798), which would ensure robberies involving off-site automatic teller machines (ATMs) receive federal penalties equal to those imposed for on-site robberies of banks. The Federal Bank Robbery Act of 1934 currently only protects banks and financial institutions, not standalone ATMs in malls, convenience stores, and public locations.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved the NAPO-supported No Fentanyl on Social Media Act (S. 3618), sending it to the Senate floor for a vote. The bill would require the Federal Trade Commission, in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration, to submit to Congress a report on the ability of minors to access fentanyl via social media platforms.
For more about these and other legislative issues, as well as NAPO's 2027 events, click here for the Oct. 2, 2026 Washington Report.
