District of Columbia Policing Protection Act of 2025

Summary

District of Columbia Policing Protection Act This bill repeals restrictions on the circumstances under which law enforcement officers in the District of Columbia (DC) may engage in vehicular pursuits (i.e., police chases) of suspects fleeing in motor vehicles, and instead generally requires such pursuits in the absence of other means of apprehension. Currently, pursuant to DC's Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, law enforcement officers generally may not engage in vehicular pursuits of suspects fleeing in motor vehicles unless the officer reasonably believes (1) the suspect was involved in a crime of violence or poses an immediate and serious threat to another person, (2) the pursuit is necessary to prevent that threat and is not likely to result in death or serious injury to any person, and (3) all other options have been exhausted or are unreasonable given the circumstances. The bill repeals these restrictions and instead requires law enforcement officers to engage in vehicular pursuits of suspects fleeing in motor vehicles unless the officer or a higher-ranking officer reasonably believes that (1) such pursuit would be futile, (2) the pursuit would entail an unacceptable risk of harm to a person other than the suspect, or (3) the suspect can be apprehended more effectively or expeditiously by other means. The bill also requires the Department of Justice to report to Congress on the costs and benefits of DC’s Metropolitan Police Department adopting technology that alerts the public of an active police pursuit in their immediate vicinity.

Summary from the Congressional Research Service. How we handle summaries

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform · U.S. House of Representatives

Your position on this bill

Choose the position closest to yours. You'll sign in or create an account to save it.

Cosponsors

Related bills

• H.Res. 707Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4922) to limit youth offender status in the District of Columbia to individuals 18 years of age or younger, to direct the Attorney General of the District of Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible website containing updated statistics on juvenile crime in the District of Columbia, to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to prohibit the Council of the District of Columbia from enacting changes to existing criminal liability sentences, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5143) to establish standards for law enforcement officers in the District of Columbia to engage in vehicular pursuits of suspects, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5140) to lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5125) to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to terminate the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1047) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform the interconnection queue process for the prioritization and approval of certain projects, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3015) to reestablish the National Coal Council in the Department of Energy to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters related to coal and the coal industry, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3062) to establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity; and for other purposes.Related bill, procedurally related

As identified by Congress.gov.

Full history

1. Sep 18, 2025

   Introduced

   Received in the Senate.

   U.S. House

2. Sep 18, 2025

   Sent to the executive

   Received in the Senate.

   U.S. Senate

3. Sep 17, 2025

   Considered as Unfinished business. (consideration: cr H4395)

   Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4395)

4. Sep 17, 2025

   Considered as Unfinished business. (consideration: cr H4395)

   Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4395)

5. Sep 17, 2025

   Debate - the House Proceeded With One Hour of Debate on H.R. 5143.

   DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 5143.

   U.S. House of Representatives

Read the record

• Read on Congress.gov (opens in a new tab) The official record on Congress.gov.