NAPO Submits Comments to FCC on Proposed Rule Allowing Cell Phone Jamming in Prisons

NAPO submitted comments supporting a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposal to allow state and local correctional facilities to use jamming technology to block contraband cell phones. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr supports the proposal, which is scheduled for a Commission vote on November 19, 2026.

For NAPO, this is first and foremost an officer safety issue. Inmates have used contraband phones to coordinate attacks against correctional officers and their families, organize inmate violence, strikes, disturbances, and riots, and arrange deliveries of illegal drugs and weapons. These threats underscore the need to authorize indoor jamming in state and local correctional facilities.

More searches and confiscations have not stopped the use of contraband phones, and additional searches put correctional officers at greater risk of physical attack. Indoor jamming would give facilities another tool to protect officers, inmates, and the public.

NAPO is urging the FCC to move forward with the proposal and adopt a final rule authorizing indoor jamming in state and local correctional facilities by the end of 2026. Correctional officers need effective tools to address the dangers posed by contraband cell phones.

NAPO Victory! DOL Announces Final Rule on Improving PBM Transparency

On October 29, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) announced its final rule, Improving Transparency into Pharmacy Benefit Manager Fee Disclosure. The rule aims to shed light on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) fees and supports President Trump’s Executive Orders “Making America Healthy Again by Empowering Patients with Clear, Accurate, and Actionable Healthcare Pricing Information” and “Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First.” These efforts seek to increase transparency and lower drug prices, key steps toward a more accountable and affordable health care system. The final rule is a victory for NAPO, our member organizations, and the officers we represent.

NAPO submitted written comments on the proposed rule in April. The final rule reflects NAPO’s feedback on giving group health plan fiduciaries greater insight into the direct and indirect compensation PBMs receive. It also aligns with the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026’s mandatory rebate pass-through and reporting requirements. The law requires PBMs to pass through to the plan 100% of rebates, fees, alternative discounts, and other remuneration received from drug manufacturers and related entities.

For Americans facing rapidly rising out-of-pocket health care costs and unexpected, unaffordable bills for treatment and prescription drugs, greater transparency matters. Clearer information about prescription drug costs and the PBM marketplace will help patients and employer-sponsored health plans understand the true cost of medications and find the best available deal.

While the rule marks an important step forward, NAPO is urging EBSA to extend these transparency requirements across the entire group health plan—not just prescription drug benefits. Broader transparency would better equip plan sponsors to manage costs, protect plan assets, and provide high-quality, affordable benefits to the law enforcement officers and families we represent.

NAPO on the Hill: Lame Duck Priorities

With the congressional recess nearing its end, NAPO is pressing to advance its legislative priorities before the year runs out. Meetings with congressional staff are focused on bills with the strongest prospects for passage during the lame-duck session. The deadline matters: when the 120th Congress begins in January, the legislative process starts over, and all bills must be reintroduced.

One key opportunity is the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Act, which would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop treatment programs for police, fire, emergency medical and 911 personnel with PTSD or acute stress disorders. NAPO worked to secure its inclusion in a broader bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee amendment to the Senate version of the Fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Keeping the measure in the final, negotiated NDAA requires support from the leadership of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) supports the measure, and NAPO is working with staff from both committees to secure the backing of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH).

NAPO is also building bipartisan support for the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program Expansion Act, with the goal of bringing it to the House floor under suspension of the rules. The Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent on August 7. NAPO is urging House lawmakers to cosponsor the legislation and support swift consideration when they return after the elections.

The PSOB Program provides critical financial relief to disabled officers and surviving families following a tragedy, but gaps in transparency and accountability have hindered timely claims processing. The Congressional Budget Office recently noted that, over the past five years, up to 200 claims at any given time have been pending with the PSOB office for more than 270 days. Roughly 40 percent of benefits applications have no documented explanation for the processing delay. The Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro PSOB Program Expansion Act is designed to address these problems in the handling of death, disability, and educational assistance claims.

A funding hurdle remains. The proposed improvements are estimated to cost $7 million—a small amount relative to the federal budget—but House Republican rules require either an offset or a waiver from leadership. NAPO is seeking a strong bipartisan roster of cosponsors to demonstrate broad support and the bill’s ability to pass with a supermajority.

Meanwhile, NAPO continues to urge the Senate to take up the House-passed bipartisan Monitor Accountability Act. The legislation would restore accountability and balance to the monitoring process by requiring clear parameters, reasonable costs, and a defined path toward completion for monitorships.

With the legislative clock running down, NAPO’s year-end efforts are centered on advancing these priorities before the next Congress begins. Securing committee support, expanding bipartisan backing, and overcoming procedural hurdles will be critical to moving these measures forward for officers and their families.

Lame Duck Outlook

Congress faces a packed agenda when lawmakers return on November 9, with approximately five legislative weeks remaining before the scheduled end of the 119th Congress. Topping the list are two must-pass measures: fiscal year 2027 appropriations and the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Federal permitting reform, surface transportation reauthorization, and reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) could also come up for consideration. Adding to the House’s crowded schedule, Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) has pledged to force a vote during the first week back on his resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Judicial nominations will also compete for limited Senate floor time. Regardless of the election results, the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to advance as many of President Trump’s judicial nominees as possible before the nomination process resets in January. Democrats have challenged Chairman Charles Grassley’s ambitious timetable, arguing that it would rush the process and leave too little time to consider each nominee. Senate Republican leaders are nevertheless expected to prioritize confirmation votes.

Against this backdrop, NAPO is focusing on priority bills with the strongest prospects for passage, either through a larger must-pass package, such as the NDAA or an appropriations measure, or by voice vote. Those priorities include the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Expansion Act, the Monitor Accountability Act, the Fighting PTSD Act, and FirstNet Reauthorization.

With deadlines approaching and floor time at a premium, the lame-duck session offers a narrow window to advance NAPO’s priorities before the next Congress begins. NAPO’s focus is on making the most of that window by pursuing the legislative opportunities most likely to bring these measures across the finish line.

Join Us for NAPO’s Annual Pension & Benefits Seminar

February 7 – 9, 2027

Caesar’s Palace Hotel, Las Vegas

Please join the National Association of Police Organizations at our 39th Annual Police, Fire, EMS, & Municipal Employee Pension & Benefits Seminar, February 7 –9 , 2027, at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

NAPO's Annual Pension & Benefits Seminar educates pension system and employee representatives, along with their providers and vendors, about the latest issues affecting the pension and benefits industry. Topics will include:

• Results and Effects of the Midterm Congressional Elections on Federal Policy

• Effects of Mid-East Conflicts on Markets and Economic Uncertainty

• Growing use of AI, Benefits and Risks

• Mounting National Debt and Threats to the U.S. Credit Rating

• Liability Pitfalls & Practical Advice for Fiduciaries

• “Outside the Box” Benefits as a Component of Recruitment & Retention

We will examine these areas and more as we evaluate the effect of these trends on public employment benefits and security, and the near- and mid-term future for U.S. and world economic conditions.

Take an active role in improving the future of your fund by registering today. You will find information regarding registration and hotel reservations on NAPO’s website: www.NAPO.org/PB27

If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact NAPO’s Director of Events, Elizabeth Loranger, at eloranger@napo.org or (703) 549-0775.                

‍Submit Your 2027 TOP COPS Awards® Nominations Today!

NAPO will host its 34th Annual TOP COPS Awards Dinner on Friday, May 14, 2027, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., during National Police Week.

The purpose of the TOP COPS Awards® program is to educate the American public about our nation’s heroes and to pay tribute to law enforcement officers in federal, tribal, state, county, and local agencies from across the country for outstanding service to their communities during the preceding year. The TOP COPS are nominated by fellow officers and are selected from hundreds of nominations by an independent awards committee. The officers from the top ten cases (our TOP COPS) are flown to Washington, D.C. and recognized at the ceremony. In the past the President, Vice President and Attorney General of the United States have honored the award winners. NAPO bears all cost of travel and lodging of the winners.

A nomination form is attached and can also be found on our website at www.napo.org/TC27. Any sworn law enforcement officer may nominate their fellow officer for a TOP COPS Awards®. Selection for an award is based on involvement in a specific incident or case wherein an officer(s) has gone above and beyond the call of duty. The deadline for nominations is January 8, 2027.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Elizabeth Loranger at eloranger@napo.org or (703) 549-0775.

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