Medal of Sacrifice Act
Signed into law May 28, 2026 · Crime and Law Enforcement
What this law does
- Directs the President to issue a medal of sacrifice for law enforcement officers and first responders killed in the line of duty.
- Creates a commission, appointed by the President, to advise on the medal's design and decide how it is presented.
- Makes federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial officers and first responders eligible, unless officially found to have acted wrongly.
- Requires the commission to investigate and make a final decision on eligibility when an officer or first responder had such a finding.
Plain-language list by Voting On, based only on the official summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the bill's titles. Read the official summary.
How it became law
- IntroducedMay 19, 2025 · House
- 259 daysPassed HouseFeb 2, 2026
- 98 daysPassed SenateMay 11, 2026
- 9 daysPresented to the PresidentMay 20, 2026
- 8 daysSigned into lawMay 28, 2026
Official summary
Medal of Sacrifice Act of 2025
This act directs the President to issue a medal of sacrifice for eligible law enforcement officers and first responders who are killed in the line of duty.
The act also directs the President to establish a commission on the medal of sacrifice and appoint its members. The act sets forth responsibilities of the commission, including to advise on the design of the medal and determine how the medal will be presented.
Under the act, eligible law enforcement officers and first responders include federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement officers or first responders who are not subject to an official act of wrongdoing (e.g., a determination that the officer or first responder acted outside the scope of their duties or in a manner that was not in accordance with official policies or procedures).
A law enforcement officer or first responder who is subject to an official act of wrongdoing is generally not eligible for the medal of sacrifice. However, in the case of such an officer or first responder, the act requires the commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the officer or first responder's cause of death and issue a final determination on their eligibility.
Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (Public Law, May 28, 2026).
Who wrote it
Sponsor: Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21]
36 cosponsors: 27 Republicans, 9 Democrats. 0 signed on the day it was introduced, 36 joined later.
Show all cosponsors
| Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|
| Rep. Taylor, David J. [R-OH-2] | Jul 21, 2025 | |
| Rep. Gonzales, Tony [R-TX-23] | Oct 3, 2025 | |
| Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19] | Nov 10, 2025 | |
| Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23] | Dec 11, 2025 | |
| Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11] | Dec 11, 2025 | |
| Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26] | Dec 11, 2025 | |
| Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5] | Dec 11, 2025 | |
| Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] | Dec 11, 2025 | |
| Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1] | Dec 12, 2025 | |
| Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7] | Dec 15, 2025 | |
| Rep. Spartz, Victoria [R-IN-5] | Dec 15, 2025 | |
| Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2] | Dec 15, 2025 | |
| Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5] | Dec 15, 2025 | |
| Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46] | Dec 16, 2025 | |
| Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] | Dec 16, 2025 | |
| Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22] | Dec 16, 2025 | |
| Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15] | Dec 16, 2025 | |
| Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2] | Dec 16, 2025 | |
| Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] | Dec 16, 2025 | |
| Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4] | Dec 17, 2025 | |
| Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22] | Dec 17, 2025 | |
| Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] | Dec 17, 2025 | |
| Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6] | Dec 17, 2025 | |
| Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8] | Dec 17, 2025 | |
| Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3] | Dec 17, 2025 | |
| Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41] | Dec 17, 2025 | |
| Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47] | Dec 18, 2025 | |
| Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] | Dec 18, 2025 | |
| Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] | Dec 23, 2025 | |
| Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] | Dec 23, 2025 | |
| Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] | Dec 23, 2025 | |
| Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] | Jan 8, 2026 | |
| Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14] | Jan 13, 2026 | |
| Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7] | Jan 16, 2026 | |
| Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6] | Jan 20, 2026 | |
| Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1] | Jan 21, 2026 |
Recorded votes
No recorded roll-call votes. It passed by voice vote or unanimous consent, where individual votes are not recorded.
What was added
Amendments adopted (0)
No floor amendments were adopted. Any changes were made in committee or in a later version of the bill.
Sections in the final law that were not in the first version (Introduced in House) (0)
None. Every section heading in the final law was already in the first version (Introduced in House).
What was removed
Sections in the first version (Introduced in House) that did not make it into the law (0)
None. Every section heading from the first version (Introduced in House) remains in the law.
Compared by section heading between the Introduced in House text (May 19, 2025) and the Enrolled Bill text, both from GovInfo. Wording changes inside a section that kept its heading are not shown here; see the amendments and the text versions.
Proposed but not adopted
No amendments were voted down or withdrawn.
Full action history
Show all 26 official actions
| May 28, 2026 | Signed by President. |
| May 28, 2026 | Signed by President. |
| May 28, 2026 | Became Public Law No: 119-94. |
| May 28, 2026 | Became Public Law No: 119-94. |
| May 20, 2026 | Presented to President. |
| May 20, 2026 | Presented to President. |
| May 12, 2026 | Message on Senate action sent to the House. |
| May 11, 2026 | Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. |
| May 11, 2026 | Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. |
| May 11, 2026 | Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. |
| May 11, 2026 | Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2204; text: CR S2204) |
| Feb 3, 2026 | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. |
| Feb 2, 2026 | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. |
| Feb 2, 2026 | Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1925-1926) |
| Feb 2, 2026 | On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1925-1926) |
| Feb 2, 2026 | DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3497. |
| Feb 2, 2026 | Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1925-1927) |
| Feb 2, 2026 | Mr. Jordan moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-466. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-466. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 399. |
| Dec 18, 2025 | Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held |
| Dec 18, 2025 | Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote. |
| May 19, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| May 19, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| May 19, 2025 | Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. |
Sources: Congress.gov (bill record, sponsors, actions, amendments, CRS summary) and GovInfo (official text). Days are calendar days.