On July 16, NAPO attended the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act official bill signing ceremony at the White House. This legislation has been a top priority for NAPO as it gives law enforcement tools and resources to combat and deter fentanyl in our nation’s communities. It makes permanent the current class-wide scheduling of all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule 1 drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) July 4, which was narrowly passed by the Senate and the House. The OBBB strengthens funding to help state and local law enforcement protect communities from cross-border crime as well as several tax provisions that would impact NAPO members, including no tax on overtime pay (with a cap), an increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, and an end to de minimis treatment for all low-value commercial shipments. It supports immigration and law enforcement efforts, including bolstering funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287(g) agreements for state and local law enforcement participation in federal immigration efforts. It also includes $3.33 billion in funds for Department of Justice immigration efforts, anti-drug task forces, and for the Bryne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs to help state and local agencies investigate and prosecute violent crime, support criminal enforcement initiatives, and assist in immigration enforcement. The OBBB creates a State Border Security Reinforcement Fund within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for grants to state and local governments to assist in building a border wall or barrier, the detection and interdiction of illicit substances and illegal aliens who have committed crimes. The bill provides $10 billion through 2034 for this Fund. The OBBB includes $500 million under the DHS State Homeland Security Grant Program to increase state and local capabilities to detect and track unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

On July 11, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, tossed out a plea agreement that would have allowed 9/11 terror mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants to plead guilty and avoid the death penalty. This ruling upheld then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to undo the plea deal approved by military lawyers and senior Pentagon staff. NAPO objected then, and the Secretary of Defense withdrew the offer, and fired the Pentagon official who had extended it. NAPO applauds the court's action to revoke the plea agreement for these admitted 9/11 terrorists who should pay the ultimate price for their actions.

Congressmen Don Back (R-NE) and Jared Golden (D-ME) reintroduced NAPO priority legislation, the Back the Blue Act (H.R. 4310), which would add new criminal provisions to address the assault, attempted murder or murder of federally-funded law enforcement officers. It would also create a new federal crime for interstate flight to avoid prosecution for such crimes.

With the passage of the OBBB, Congress is focused on completing the Fiscal 2026 appropriations process before the August recess. On July 15, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) approved its FY 2026 CJS appropriations measure which allocates: $897.96 million for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program, with $501.3 million in carveouts for programs including $13 million for the VALOR Program, $20 million for Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program, and $30 million for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program. It appropriates $40 million for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, $82 million in total for the STOP School Violence Grant program and provides no funding for the BJA Body Worn Camera Grant Program. For the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program, the House CJS bill appropriates $654.14 million, of which $256.2 million is for the COPS Hiring Program with a carve out of $10 million for the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act and the Supporting and Treating Officers in Crisis Act programs. It also provides $12 million for the POLICE Act program for officer active-shooter training, $16 million for the COPS anti-meth task force program and $35 million for the anti-heroin task force program. The National Blue Alert Program and the Collaborative Reform Initiative were not mentioned in the measure.

NAPO has again pledged support for the reintroduced Restoring the Armed Career Criminal Act (H.R. 4334 / S. 2250). Congress passed the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) in 1984, which established a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence for repeat violent felons convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) who have been previously convicted of serious felonies on three separate occasions.

For more details on these legislative issues, and for a list of 2025 Convention Exhibitors and Sponsors, please click on the link below.