NAPO Meets with DOJ Leadership
NAPO Executive Director Bill Johnson and Director of Governmental Affairs Andy Edmiston met with Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon and Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and staff from the Deputy Attorney General’s office on June 17.
Our meeting with Assistant Attorney General Dhillon focused on three issues: (1) utilizing the power of the DOJ under current statute to charge individuals for acts of violence against state and local law
enforcement officers; (2) using the DOJ’s Collaborative Reform Initiative through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office to assist agencies struggling under the effects of previous consent decrees; and (3) reviewing current, ongoing consent decrees and settlement agreements to determine if the original complaints have been addressed.
The meeting with Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Bove and the Deputy Attorney General’s office was to discuss NAPO’s priorities and how we can best work collaboratively with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Specifically, we highlighted the importance of the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program and vital improvements that must be made to it, the need for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to remain independent within the DOJ and to be robustly funded, the vital state and local law enforcement assistance programs housed under the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and our desire to work with the Department, particularly the Civil Rights Division, on current and pending consent decrees.
We look forward to continuing the close relationship we have had with the DOJ, particularly under the first Trump Administration, and to working with the Department and its leadership to meet the needs of our nation’s rank-and-file law enforcement and the communities they serve.
NAPO Victory! Congress Passes HALT Fentanyl Act
On June 12, the House passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), by a bipartisan vote of 321-104 sending it to President Trump to be signed into law. This is a significant victory for NAPO and public safety as it gives law enforcement the tools and resources necessary to combat and deter fentanyl in our nation’s communities. We have long fought for the permanent scheduling of fentanyl-related substances as Schedule 1 drugs, but until now Congress has only given us temporary renewals.
Senate passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act on March 14 by a vote of 84-16.
This important bill makes 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.
Fentanyl is now the drug most associated with overdoses in the United States. It is being mixed with already deadly illicit drugs, hidden in counterfeit drugs, and being peddled at alarmingly high rates to our nation’s youth. 5 out of 10 counterfeit prescription drugs seized by law enforcement in 2024 were laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl. Fentanyl is now the drug most associated with overdoses in the United States. The amount of fentanyl the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized in 2024 – nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl – represents over 367 million deadly doses.
Law enforcement officers are out in our communities fighting the spread of fentanyl. They are responding to fentanyl overdoses and deaths, trying to save lives and take fentanyl off our streets. Fentanyl precursors and analogues will now be permanently scheduled as Schedule 1 drugs under the CSA. We look forward to seeing this important, lifesaving bill signed into law.
NAPO Victory! House Passes Bill Restoring Collective Bargaining Rights to D.C. Police Officers
Congress acted in 2023 to overturn a District of Columbia (D.C.) police reform law, the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act (CPJRAA), but the legislation was vetoed by President Biden. NAPO supported the efforts to rescind the CPJRAA as it stripped the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of their right to bargain over accountability and disciplinary issues. This created substandard collective bargaining rights for the officers, setting them apart from their fellow public servants in the District, who can bargain over disciplinary issues.
Understanding the harm these substandard collective bargaining rights were doing to the MPD officers and the Department’s ability to recruit and retain officers, Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) introduced the Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act (H.R. 2096) with NAPO’s support. The House passed this important bill with a bipartisan vote of 235 – 178 on June 10. This is a significant vote as Representatives in both parties acknowledged the importance of allowing law enforcement officers to have full collective bargaining rights.
The Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act allows officer disciplinary matters to be negotiated as part of a collective bargaining agreement, eliminates the MPD police chief’s authority to increase the police trial board’s recommended penalty for officer misconduct, and repeals a requirement that MPD publish a schedule online of disciplinary hearings for which the proposed action is termination, including the date, time, and underlying allegations.
NAPO thanks Congressman Garbarino for his steadfast leadership and support on this issue as well as all the Members of Congress who voted to stand with law enforcement officers and overturn the most harmful provisions of the CPJRAA.
NAPO Meets with COPS Office Leadership
On June 18, NAPO Executive Director Bill Johnson and Director of Governmental Affairs Andy Edmiston met with leadership from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), including Deputy Director Cory Randolph, and staff from the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, to discuss the current COPS grant solicitations and how the COPS Office can more effectively assist state and local law enforcement. The COPS Office is leading a DOJ effort to understand the needs of the officers in the field and how the Administration can better leverage its resources to support those needs.
Johnson discussed the need to educate the public on the work that law enforcement officers do, particularly the good work they do, as an important aspect of supporting state and local law enforcement. As the public face of the government, too often officers are blamed by the public for laws they had no role in creating, but it is their responsibility to enforce. Humanizing officers and highlighting the enormous amount of good they do for their communities goes a long way to help secure public safety. This is largely why NAPO created the TOP COPS Awards® 32 years ago.
NAPO also mentioned the need for increased federal penalties for violent crimes against officers, especially as officers are experiencing a rise in attacks as bad actors take advantage of the ongoing protests in major cities across the country. Other NAPO priorities raised include funding for the hiring and retention of officers; resources for confidential mental health services for officers, support for crisis intervention teams, community mental health and substance abuse resources, and training to improve law enforcement response to individuals experiencing mental or behavioral health crises; and the need for protective equipment for officers.
The COPS Office has assisted over 13,000 law enforcement agencies with over $20 billion in funding to hire more than 136,000 community police officers across the United States. Funding through its various grant programs has contributed to continued achievements in improving law enforcement and community relations; combating crime, drugs, and gangs in our communities; and addressing emerging law enforcement needs, including officer mental health and wellness. A big part of the success of this program is its reliance on local law enforcement agencies in defining what their communities need and meeting those needs.
In recent years, NAPO has worked closely with Congress to pass legislation to enhance the ability of the COPS Office to support state and local law enforcement, including the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act and the Supporting and Treating Officers in Crisis Act, the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act, expanded access to active shooter training through the POLICE Act, and activities authorized by the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act. These programs are vital to state and local law enforcement’s ability to serve and protect our communities efficiently and effectively.
NAPO is currently working with Congress and the Administration to safeguard the COPS Office and the vital programs it administers as the DOJ looks to streamline its grant administration components.
Senate Judiciary Reconciliation Text Provides Resources to State & Local Law Enforcement
The Senate Judiciary Committee released its provisions of the Senate version of the Republican reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, on June 12. NAPO supports the Senate Judiciary Committee’s text as it strengthens funding to help state and local law enforcement protect communities from cross-border crime.
The Committee’s language 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 funds Department of Justice immigration efforts and anti-drug task forces and calls for additional funding 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.
“It is state and local law enforcement officers, who, during the course of daily patrols and duties, will encounter non-citizen offenders and immigration violators who pose a threat to national security or public safety. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s title of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on immigration and law enforcement gives state and local law enforcement the necessary resources and latitude to work with their federal partners and pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, and gang and drug activity”, stated NAPO Executive Director Bill Johnson. “These partnerships and investigations are essential to keeping our nation’s communities safe by getting dangerous criminal aliens off our streets.”
Cross-border crime and terrorism are most effectively combated through a multi-level approach that encompasses federal, state, and local resources, skills and expertise. As the first responders on the scene, state and local law enforcement officers and the agencies they serve play a critical role in protecting our homeland. We appreciate the Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) and the Committee for recognizing this by providing state and local law enforcement with sufficient resources, funding, and support to fulfil this role in their provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
NAPO Provides Input on President’s 2026 National Drug Control Strategy
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reached out to NAPO to consult with us and get our input on the development of the President’s 2026 National Drug Control Strategy (Strategy).
NAPO supports the tenets of the Trump Administration’s Drug Policy Priorities, which were published on April 1, 2025, and will be used as the foundation of the 2026 Strategy:
• Reduce the Number of Overdose Fatalities, with a Focus on Fentanyl
• Secure the Global Supply Chain Against Drug Trafficking
• Stop the Flow of Drugs Across our Borders and into Our Communities
• Prevent Drug Use Before It Starts
• Provide Treatment That Leads to Long-Term Recovery
• Innovate in Research and Data to Support Drug Control Strategies
State and local law enforcement will play a significant role in helping the Administration realize these objectives and need additional training, resources, and equipment to effectively assist in these efforts.
In our submitted comments for the 2026 Strategy, NAPO focused on training and equipment for officers particularly around fentanyl detection and containment, funding state and local law enforcement drug task forces, combating online sales of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, permanently closing the de minimis trade loophole, and supporting and maintaining the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program and the Drug Free Communities (DFC) within ONDCP.
To view NAPO’s submitted comments click here.
The Administration continues to seek NAPO’s feedback on issues that impact state and local law enforcement. This open line of communication has been demonstrated by several of the President’s Executive Orders, which closely track policy recommendations that we have provided. We continue to work with the Administration to keep our officers and our communities safe.
NAPO Submits Comments to DHS Working Group on Implementing Pro-Police Executive Order
NAPO was solicited to provide input to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Executive Order Working Group to address the April 28, 2025 Executive Order on Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens. This Executive Order Working Group is charged with advising, tracking, and driving implementation of Section 3 of the Executive Order for the Department, which requires the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to take all appropriate actions to maximize the use of Federal resources to:
- Provide new best practices to state and local law enforcement to aggressively police communities against all crimes.
- Increase pay and benefits for law enforcement officers.
- Seek enhanced sentences for crimes against law enforcement officers.
- Increase the investment in and the collection, distribution, and uniformity of crime data across jurisdictions.
- Expand access and improve the quality of training available to State and local law enforcement.
- Strengthen and expand legal protections for law enforcement officers.
- Promote investment in the security and capacity of prisons.
NAPO appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback on how the Department can best support its state and local enforcement partners.
NAPO’s Legislative Positions & Sponsor/Cosponsor Updates
You can now see if your U.S. Representatives and Senators support NAPO’s priority legislation on our new interactive Sponsor/Cosponsor map on our website. The interactive map accompanies the latest “Legislative Positions” document, which is also available on the NAPO website under “Washington Report”. NAPO’s Legislative Positions is a document that highlights all the legislation that we have taken an official position on or are monitoring during the 119th Congress. The map and Legislative Positions document are continually updated to reflect the work we are doing on Capitol Hill.