[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 23 (Monday, February 2, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H1925-H1927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MEDAL OF SACRIFICE ACT OF 2025
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3497) to establish a medal of service for law enforcement
officers and first responders, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3497
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
[[Page H1926]]
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Medal of Sacrifice Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. MEDAL OF SACRIFICE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND
FIRST RESPONDERS.
(a) Medal of Sacrifice for Law Enforcement Officers and
First Responders.--The President shall issue a medal of
sacrifice for law enforcement officers and first responders
who were killed in the line of duty.
(b) Eligibility.--
(1) In general.--A local, State, Tribal, territorial, or
Federal law enforcement officer or first responder who was
killed in the line of duty shall be eligible for the medal of
sacrifice established under subsection (a).
(2) Exception.--
(A) In general.--A local, State, Tribal, territorial, or
Federal law enforcement officer or first responder who is
killed in the line of duty, but who is subject to an official
finding of wrongdoing, shall not be eligible for the medal of
sacrifice established under subsection (a).
(B) Investigation.--In the case of an official finding of
wrongdoing, the Commission established under subsection (c)
shall investigate the circumstances surrounding the law
enforcement officer's or first responder's cause of death,
including considering any findings by the local, State,
Tribal, territorial, or Federal agency with respect to the
officer's or responder's death. The Commission established
under subsection (c) shall make a final determination as to
the officer's eligibility for the medal established under
subsection (a).
(C) Official finding of wrongdoing.--In this paragraph, the
term ``official finding of wrongdoing'' means a determination
by the law enforcement officer's or first responders'
superior officer or employing law agency that the officer
acted outside of the scope of their duties or not in
accordance with the agency's official policies or procedures.
(c) Commission on Medal of Sacrifice for Law Enforcement
Officers and First Responders.--
(1) Establishment.--The President shall establish a
Commission on the medal of sacrifice for law enforcement
officers and first responders (hereinafter known as the
``Commission'').
(2) Appointment.--Not later than 150 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint 12
members of the Commission. Such members shall be law
enforcement officers, first responders, and representatives
of organizations knowledgeable about law enforcement.
(3) Term.--Members of the Commission shall be appointed for
a term of 5 years and shall be eligible to serve up to two
terms, either consecutively or non-consecutively. The
President shall make appointments to fill such vacancies as
may occur on the Board.
(4) Prohibition on payment.--Members shall not be paid for
serving on the Commission.
(5) Responsibilities.--The Commission shall--
(A) advise the Commission on the design of the medal of
sacrifice for law enforcement officers and first responders;
(B) promote the establishment of the medal of sacrifice for
law enforcement officers and first responders;
(C) determine how the medal of sacrifice for law
enforcement officers and first responders shall be presented;
(D) make any final determination necessary pursuant to
subsection (b)(2)(B); and
(E) advise the President regarding criteria for assessing
eligibility pursuant to subsection (b).
(6) Initial award.--The Commission shall award the
following law enforcement officers the medal of sacrifice:
(A) Deputy Ralph ``Butch'' Waller (Badge #8434);
(B) Deputy Ignacio ``Dan'' Diaz (Badge #7637); and
(C) Deputy Luis Paez (Badge #3882).
(7) Sunset.--The Commission shall cease to exist on the
date on which the President determines that the Commission
has completed each responsibility under paragraph (5).
(d) Description.--The medal of sacrifice for law
enforcement officers and first responders shall be a modified
quatrefoil, with rounded lobes extending from a central
octagon. The field incorporates features of the Great Seal of
the United States, redesigned by Tiffany & Co in 1885. The
American eagle is charged with a coat of arms as a shield,
argent, on a chevron gules between three lions rampant azure,
as many chevronels argent; the crest, out of a coronet or, a
double-tailed lion rampant azure, holding in its dexter paw a
torch or enflamed proper; and ``Integritas'' included as a
motto. Surrounding the seal are mullets, 47 in number,
alternating with three rampant lions and incorporating four
chevrons. In base, the word ``SACRIFICE'' is inscribed. In
dexter base, three oak leaves are placed, symbolizing the
national tree of the U.S., representing strength, resilience,
and honoring the families and widows of the fallen. The
reverse of the medal is sandblasted and bears an engraving of
the names of the fallen heroes. The medal is suspended from a
ribbon, either Azure or Gules depending on the fallen hero
being honored. The ribbon bail is prepared and attached by
hand soldering to the back of the medal. The medal is crafted
from Silver Ag925 with 24k Gold Vermeil, with a weight of
approximately 63 grams. It has a diameter of 2.25 inches. The
Vermeil plating has a thickness of 2.5 microns. The medal
combines national symbols with heraldic elements to represent
the sacrifice of the fallen deputies. The use of Silver and
Gold signifies the value and honor associated with their
service.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Jordan) and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3497, the Medal of Sacrifice Act of 2025, honors
law enforcement officers and other first responders who are killed in
the line of duty. This bill authorizes the President to award a medal
to those law enforcement officers and first responders.
Law enforcement officers and other first responders courageously face
danger to protect American communities. While others may flee, law
enforcement and first responders run toward crises.
Law enforcement officers uphold public safety by enforcing laws and
maintaining order. First responders save lives during emergencies
despite the risks to their own safety. These brave men and women
provide essential help in times of need, embodying sacrifice for the
greater good. Some law enforcement and first responders make the
ultimate sacrifice in serving their communities.
In 2024, the FBI reported that 64 law enforcement personnel were
murdered while on duty. That same year, another 56 law enforcement
officers died because of traffic-related incidents.
The National Fire Protection Association reported that there were 62
fatalities from injuries to firefighters in the United States in 2024.
The medal of sacrifice will honor these brave men and women who made
the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3497, the Medal of
Sacrifice Act.
Every year, over 100 sworn law enforcement officers and over 100
firefighters die while on duty or from hazardous conditions related to
their service.
While there are a number of different memorials for them, there is
currently no memorial or medal that honors all public safety officers
who die in the line of duty.
From 2015 to 2024, the leading causes of death for law enforcement
officers were: COVID-19, job-related illness, car accidents, and
shootings. These causes are responsible for 94 percent of line of duty
law enforcement deaths.
I have had conversations with the families of fallen officers about
their pain and struggles. They are why I worked to push forward a
bipartisan bill, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, which expands
disability benefits for the families of firefighters and other first
responders who develop cancer because of their service.
We were able to bring 179 colleagues together on a bipartisan basis
to pass this measure, which was signed into law last December, to honor
sacrifice not just in remembrance but through tangible support.
In that same spirit, I think we can, and must, come together on a
bipartisan basis to do more to keep officers and the communities they
serve safe in the first place by: investing in public health, making
our roads safer, and combating gun violence so we can keep weapons out
of dangerous hands.
Finally, in addition to this recognition, I can't really imagine what
is going through the minds of our colleagues on the other side of the
aisle when they say they support this bill when Republican leadership
in the House still hasn't complied with the 2022 law passed by this
body to honor the men and women of the Capitol Police and beyond who
protected and defended us and our democracy on January 6, 2021.
It is a stain upon this institution that the plaque dedicated to
those officers, to their patriotism and sacrifice, has not yet been
installed in the Capitol because this administration and its lapdogs in
Congress think they can rewrite history to hide their betrayal and
cowardice.
[[Page H1927]]
Is it too much for the leadership of this body to have the decency to
acknowledge that the Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police, and
others saved the lives of Members of Congress on that day at great
personal risk to themselves? Is it too much to say thank you?
All that said, I support this bill to award medals of sacrifice to
other public safety officers who lose their lives in service to their
country and their communities, and I thank them.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), someone who has certainly sacrificed
and served our country and is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs
Committee.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank my colleagues on both sides
of the aisle for their work on this piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 3497, the Medal
of Sacrifice Act. Its purpose is singular. It is of the highest
importance to honor fallen law enforcement officers and first
responders.
This bill, this medal, came to be in this way on November 21, 2024,
because my community lost three Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies in
one moment: Deputy Ralph ``Butch'' Waller, Deputy Ignacio ``Dan'' Diaz,
and Deputy Luis Paez. They were three motorcycle officers, all killed.
At their memorial service to honor them, President Trump, myself, and
a few of our friends, Eric and Dan, we were having a conversation that
there is no medal which is awarded posthumously to law enforcement
officers and first responders killed in the line of duty directly from
the Office of President and on behalf of a grateful nation. Out of this
horrific tragedy, the medal of sacrifice was born.
Six months later, I had the profound honor of standing alongside
President Trump in the Oval Office as he presented the first medals of
sacrifice to the families of those three fallen Palm Beach County
Sheriff's Deputies that were lost on that day, three lions of our
community.
These men gave their lives in service each and every day. In the end,
they gave the last breath in their lungs and the last beat of their
heart as so many of our law enforcement and first responders across our
country do each year.
There is not a recognition that can ever bring them back. There is
not an award that could ever repay their sacrifice. What we can do is
ensure that their courage and their service and their legacies are
recognized by the highest office of our land, the Office of President.
The medal of sacrifice will ensure that when a family member, a
spouse, a son, a daughter, or a department, that when they reflect on
the end of watch for their friend or their hero or their loved one,
they will know that it is the whole of America that remembers with
them.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to send a clear message to the
families who have given so much, suspend the rules, and pass the Medal
of Sacrifice Act.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I endorse the comments of the sponsor of
the bill. I totally agree we should be honoring the sacrifice of our
public safety officers and it is right that that honoring should start
from the top. I could not agree more that the President should be
recognizing those public safety officers who have given all for this
country, and I would put at the top of that list right now Brian
Sicknick and Howard Liebengood.
Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
{time} 1640
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an estimate from the
Congressional Budget Office for this bill.
H.R. 3497, MEDAL OF SACRIFICE ACT OF 2025, AS ORDERED REPORTED BY THE
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY ON DECEMBER 18, 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, millions of
dollars--
-----------------------------------
2026 2026-2030 2026-2035
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct Spending (Outlays)........... 0 0 0
Revenues............................ 0 0 0
Increase or Decrease (-) in the 0 0 0
Deficit............................
Spending Subject to Appropriation * * **
(Outlays)..........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* = between zero and $500,000.
** = not estimated.
Increases net direct spending in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036? No.
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2036? No.
Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply? No.
Mandate Effects:
Contains intergovernmental mandate? No.
Contains private-sector mandate? No.
H.R. 3497 would create a medal for officers employed by
state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies who are
killed in the line of duty. Officers who were subject to an
official finding of wrongdoing by their agency would not be
eligible for the award. H.R. 3497 also would create a
commission to advise the President on the design,
presentation, and eligibility criteria for the medal; members
of the commission would not be compensated. Lastly, the bill
would award the medal to three officers.
CBO estimates that the cost to design, manufacture, and
produce each medal would be about $250, and based on the
number of officers killed in the line of duty in recent
years, that about 150 officers would be eligible to receive
medals each year. On that basis, CBO estimates that
implementing H.R. 3497 would cost less than $500,000 over the
2026-2030 period. Any related spending would be subject to
the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeremy Crimm.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 3497, the Medal of Sacrifice
Act, which would award medals to honor those who lose their lives while
serving as public safety officers. I encourage my colleagues to support
it, too.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, the Medal of Sacrifice Act of 2025 is a
great piece of legislation, and I hope everyone will vote for it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 3497, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________