District of Columbia Policing Protection Act of 2025

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Bill ID: 119/hr/5143
Last Updated: July 12, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

ID: H001077

Follow the money

The bill

District of Columbia Policing Protection Act of 2025

HR. 5143, 119th Congress — read as touching Law Enforcement & Surveillance Tech.

The sponsor

Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$66,200 raised

20 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

55% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Transportation" section, p. 658-660 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate.

September 17, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

(sigh) Oh joy, another exercise in legislative theater. Let's dissect this farce.

The "District of Columbia Policing Protection Act of 2025" - what a lovely title. Sounds like a genuine attempt to protect the good people of D.C., doesn't it? (rolls eyes)

New regulations being created or modified: The bill amends existing law to establish standards for vehicular pursuits by law enforcement officers in the District of Columbia. Because, clearly, the current standards were just too... standard.

Affected industries and sectors: Law enforcement agencies, specifically the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. Oh, and let's not forget the tech companies that will inevitably benefit from the "evaluation" of PursuitAlert or similar technologies. (coughs) Lobbyists must be thrilled.

Compliance requirements and timelines: The Attorney General has three years to evaluate the costs and benefits of adopting PursuitAlert or similar technology. Plenty of time for bureaucratic foot-dragging and, no doubt, generous consulting fees for "experts" who will help with the evaluation.

Enforcement mechanisms and penalties: Ah, the usual suspects - reports, evaluations, and recommendations. Because nothing says "accountability" like a sternly worded report from the Attorney General's office.

Economic and operational impacts: The real impact will be on the wallets of taxpayers, as they foot the bill for this regulatory exercise in futility. Law enforcement agencies will likely face increased costs for training, equipment, and personnel to comply with these new standards. And, of course, the tech companies will reap the benefits of selling their PursuitAlert solutions to the government.

Diagnosis: This bill is a classic case of "Legislative Lip Service Syndrome" (LLSS). Symptoms include grandiose titles, vague language, and a complete lack of meaningful reform. The underlying disease? A severe case of bureaucratic inertia, coupled with a healthy dose of crony capitalism.

Treatment: None required. Just more of the same old, same old - politicians posturing for votes, lobbyists lining their pockets, and taxpayers footing the bill. (shrugs) Business as usual in Washington D.C.

Related Topics

Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$66,200
16 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$0
Committees
$0
Individuals
$66,200

No PAC contributions found

No organization contributions found

No committee contributions found

1
HAMER, GREGORY J MR. SR
2 transactions
$6,600
2
BOLLINGER, DONALD
2 transactions
$6,600
3
COOLEY, WILLIAM
2 transactions
$6,600
4
HAMER, GREG MR. JR.
2 transactions
$6,600
5
HEBERT, MARC
1 transaction
$3,500
6
FREY, GERARD A.
1 transaction
$3,300
7
CRAPPEL, ADAM
1 transaction
$3,300
8
UIHLEIN, RICHARD
1 transaction
$3,300
9
DAVIS, JORDAN
1 transaction
$3,300
10
ALFORD, ANTHONY
1 transaction
$3,300
11
CASTILLE, CARROL
1 transaction
$3,300
12
MIGUEZ, STEVEN
1 transaction
$3,300
13
MALLETT, CHESTER
1 transaction
$3,300
14
GRIGSBY, LANE
1 transaction
$3,300
15
HOLLINGSWORTH, DAVID
1 transaction
$3,300
16
VANHOOSE, JOHN
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 2 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19]

ID: D000032

Top Contributors

10

1
SHANNON GREEN COLLECTION
OrganizationNAPLES, FL
$500
Dec 28, 2023
2
NAPLES SMART, LLC
OrganizationNAPLES, FL
$250
Jun 4, 2024
3
COX, JOE B
NELSON MULLINS • ATTORNEY
IndividualNAPLES, FL
$6,600
Dec 30, 2023
4
STALLINGS, KYLE
DESERT ROYALTY COMPANY • FOUNDER/CEO
IndividualMIDLAND, TX
$6,600
Mar 9, 2023
5
ZALIK, DAVID
GOLDMAN SACHS • EXECUTIVE
IndividualMARIETTA, GA
$6,600
Jan 3, 2024
6
ZALIK, HELEN
HOMEMAKER • HOMEMAKER
IndividualATLANTA, GA
$6,600
Jan 6, 2024
7
BAUM, DAVID
ENTREPRENEUR • ENTREPRENEUR
IndividualSANIBEL, FL
$6,600
Feb 13, 2024
8
WALDRIP, EMORY
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualNAPLES, FL
$6,600
May 20, 2023
9
MANDELBLATT, DANIELLE
DMM PROPRIETA MANAGEMENT • MANAGER
IndividualASPEN, CO
$6,600
Jun 7, 2024
10
MANDELBLATT, ERIC
SOROBAN CAPITAL PARTNERS LP • MANAGING PARTNER
IndividualASPEN, CO
$6,600
Jun 7, 2024

Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]

ID: W000795

Top Contributors

10

1
CATAWBA INDIAN NATION
OrganizationROCK HILL, SC
$2,000
May 6, 2024
2
LEVKOWITZ, HOWARD
SELF EMPLOYED • INVESTOR
IndividualLOS ANGELES, CA
$6,600
Nov 28, 2023
3
VICKAR, KERRY
LKV MANAGEMENT • CHAIRMAN
IndividualCHARLOTTE, NC
$5,000
Nov 21, 2023
4
LOWELL, RANDY R.
BURR FORMAN • ATTORNEY
IndividualISLE OF PALMS, SC
$3,700
May 8, 2024
5
VALLARINO, MANUEL R.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSURFSIDE BEACH, SC
$3,300
Oct 29, 2024
6
VALLARINO, MARY EMILY J.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSURFSIDE BEACH, SC
$3,300
Oct 29, 2024
7
CASSELS, W. TOBIN III
SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT LINES • PRESIDENT
IndividualCOLUMBIA, SC
$3,300
Dec 1, 2023
8
CASSELS, W. TOBIN JR.
SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT LINES • CHAIRMAN & CEO
IndividualCOLUMBIA, SC
$3,300
Dec 1, 2023
9
HOEFER, JOHN M. S. ESQ.
WILLOUGHBY & HOEFER P.A. • ATTORNEY
IndividualCOLUMBIA, SC
$3,300
Nov 8, 2023
10
LIEBERMAN, JEREMY A.
KLEE TUCHIN BOGDANOFF & STERN LLP • ATTORNEY
IndividualFLUSHING, NY
$3,300
Oct 31, 2023

Donor Network - Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 41 nodes and 26 connections (45 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $87,150

Top Donors - Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]

Showing top 16 donors by contribution amount

16 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 helped.

  • Section 2(a)(1)(C) amends D.C. Code to allow vehicular pursuit unless officer reasonably believes pursuit entails unacceptable risk of harm or is futile, or suspect can be apprehended more effectively otherwise. This expands law enforcement authority to engage in vehicular pursuits, benefiting surveillance and pursuit technology vendors (e.g., Axon, Palantir) that provide related equipment and services.

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Transportation

Weak
Vector: 62%
Pages: 658-660AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill focuses on police vehicular pursuit standards and evaluates a pursuit-alert technology, which only tangentially relates to the DOT's broader goals of transportation safety, technology neutrality, and spectrum allocation for intelligent transportation systems."

Key themes:vehicular safetytechnology deploymentpublic safety

— 625 — Department of Transportation security, and privacy without hampering innovation. DOT can oversee the testing and deployment of a wide variety of new technologies, allowing communities and individuals to choose what best fits their needs. It is the role of the private sector, not the government, to pick winners and losers in technology development. If a technology underperforms, the private sector should be liable, not the government. The department should ensure a tech-neutral approach to addressing any emerging transportation technology while keeping safety as the number one priority. As part of this, it should work to facilitate the safe and full integration of automated vehicles into the national transportation system. Over time, these advanced technologies can save lives, transform personal mobility, and provide additional transportation opportunities—including for people with disabili- ties, aging populations, and communities where car ownership is expensive or impractical. NHTSA’s and FMCSA’s current regulations were written before the advent of automated vehicles and driving systems. Both operating administrations have issued Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemakings (ANPRMs) that begin the pro- cess of updating their regulations to reflect this new technology. However, these regulations have stalled under the Biden Administration, which has chosen to use the department’s tools to get people to take transit and drive electric vehicles instead of helping people to choose the transportation options that suit them best. l NHTSA should work to remove regulatory barriers by focusing on updating vehicle standards as well as publishing performance-based rules for the operations of automated vehicles (AVs). l FMCSA should work to clarify the regulations to align with DOT’s AV 3.0 guidance, which would allow the drivers to be safely removed from the operations of a commercial motor vehicle. From a nonregulatory point of view, DOT has pivoted from a successful focus on the voluntary sharing of data to improve safety outcomes to adoption of a more compulsory and antagonistic approach to mandating data collection and publica- tion through a Standing General Order related to automated vehicles. This needs to be reversed. Many of these new and innovative technologies rely on wireless communica- tions that depend on the availability and purchase of radio frequency spectrum, a trend that is consistent with what we see in connectivity in our everyday lives. There is a role for DOT in ensuring that in the fight over spectrum, transportation gets its fair share. For technologies to work in transportation, and in particular to work for transportation safety, they have to meet the unique needs of a transportation — 626 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise environment. They need to account for rapidly moving and out-of-line-of-sight vehicles as well as pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users. They should account for the potential for radio interference, and they should address security. This is why in 1999, in response to a request from Congress, the Federal Com- munications Commission allocated the 5.9 GHz band of spectrum to traffic safety and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). In 2020, the FCC took away 45 MHz of the 75 MHz it had added, leaving only 30 MHz for transportation safety and ITS. DOT needs to represent the transportation community and make the case for needed spectrum to the public and Congress. CORPORATE AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY (CAFE) STANDARDS One reason for the high numbers of injuries on American roadways is that national fuel economy standards raise the price of cars, disincentivizing people from purchasing newer, safer vehicles. Congress requires the Secretary of Transportation to set national fuel econ- omy standards for new motor vehicles sold in the United States. This mandate was established in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA),6 a law passed in the wake of the Arab oil embargo to promote greater energy efficiency and lessen the national security threat of U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The stat- ute directs DOT to prescribe the “maximum feasible” mileage requirements for different categories of internal-combustion engine (ICE) automobiles for each model year. The standards must be achievable using available ICE technologies running on gasoline, diesel fuel, or similar combustible fuels and must not be set so high as to prevent automakers from profitably producing new vehicles at sufficient volume to meet consumer demand. Congress recognized that the ICE-powered automobile has been instrumen- tal to advancing the mobility and prosperity of the American people and that the domestic mass production of new ICE vehicles generates millions of jobs and remains critical to the overall health of the U.S. economy and the strength of the nation’s industrial base. Accordingly, Congress took care to ensure that the mileage requirements issued by DOT would not undermine the vitality of America’s auto industry or interfere with the market economics that drives consumer demand for new vehicles. This rulemaking authority, which has been delegated by the Secretary to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is exclusive to DOT. EPCA expressly preempts states from adopting or enforcing any different requirement “related to fuel economy standards” for new motor vehicles. While the statute instructs DOT to consult with the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in formulating its standards, no other federal agency, including EPA, has clear authority to set fuel economy requirements in place of NHTSA. The Clean Air Act7 gives EPA general authority to establish emissions

Department of Justice

Weak
Vector: 62%
Pages: 587-589AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill focuses on limiting vehicular pursuits to reduce risk, while Project 2025 emphasizes aggressive enforcement tools and dismantling criminal enterprises; they share only a general law enforcement theme but diverge in approach."

Key themes:law enforcementpublic safetypolicing standards

— 554 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise attorneys are consistently using the tools at their disposal in cases with violent offenders, including pursuing mandatory minimum sentences under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA).43 The department should also support legislative efforts to provide further tools, such as the Restoring the Armed Career Criminal Act, which Senators Tom Cotton (R–AR), Marsha Blackburn (R–TN), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R–MS) introduced in 2021 in response to U.S. Supreme Court decisions neutering the ACCA.44 l Enforce the death penalty where appropriate and applicable. Capital punishment is a sensitive matter, as it should be, but the current crime wave makes deterrence vital at the federal, state, and local levels. However, providing this punishment without ever enforcing it provides justice neither for the victims’ families nor for the defendant. The next conservative Administration should therefore do everything possible to obtain finality for the 44 prisoners currently on federal death row. It should also pursue the death penalty for applicable crimes—particularly heinous crimes involving violence and sexual abuse of children—until Congress says otherwise through legislation.45 DISMANTLING DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES Criminal organizations are as old as crime itself, but are more extensive, sophisticated, and dangerous today than at any other point in history. The Department of Justice has a key role in tackling transnational criminal orga- nizations like Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Mexican drug cartels as well as purely domestic criminal organizations like those built on the more traditional mafia crime model as part of its obligation to ensure the safety and security of the American people. The department’s primary directive under the next Administration should be to return to an unapologetic focus on dismantling these criminal organizations and incarcerating their membership. Once this reprioritization occurs, the depart- ment’s political leadership should take concrete steps to use agency reach and resources to prevent these criminal organizations from operating and surviving. Assaulting the business model of these criminal organizations—which are massive, diversified enterprises with nationwide or international operations—is essential for success. The next Administration will therefore need to: l Revitalize the DOJ’s use of the array of statutory tools that exist for dealing with the threat of criminal organizations. The most potent ones are the simplest. For example, the department should: — 555 — Department of Justice 1. Rigorously prosecute as much interstate drug activity as possible, including simple possession of distributable quantities.46 Recent efforts to create the impression that drug possession crimes are not serious offenses has contributed to the explosion of criminal organization activities in the United States. 2. Aggressively deploy the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO),47 which Congress expressly created to empower the Department of Justice to treat patterns of intrastate- level crimes, such as robbery, extortion, and murder, as federal criminal conduct for criminal organizations and networks. The next Administration can use existing tools while it works with Congress to develop new tools. l Secure the border,48 which is the key entry point for many criminal organizations and their supplies, products, and employees. Mexico— which is arguably functioning as a failed state run by drug cartels—is the main point of transit for illegal drugs produced in Central and South America, fentanyl precursors from the Chinese Communist Party–led People’s Republic of China,49 weapons, human smuggling and trafficking, and other contraband. Mexican drug cartels, including the dominant Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), are the main drivers of fentanyl production and distribution in the United States. The southwestern land border is sufficiently porous that Mexican drug cartels have operational control of large sections of the border, which facilitates easy movement of product and personnel. These cartels are also violent and not afraid to demonstrate force on both sides of the border. Their conduct represents a clear and present danger to the United States and its citizens. In addition to finalizing the southwestern land border wall, the next Administration should take a creative and aggressive approach to tackling these dangerous criminal organizations at the border. This could include use of active-duty military personnel and National Guardsmen to assist in arrest operations along the border—something that has not yet been done. A new and forceful approach to interdiction will have a ripple effect on the operations of these criminal organizations, which currently operate freely without concern for criminal prosecution, and will lay the necessary groundwork for initial prosecutions of these organizations and their leaders. It is critical that the federal government staunch the flow of drugs by preventing the far-too-easy access to the United States that now exists.

Department of Justice

Weak
Vector: 61%
Pages: 587-589AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill establishes vehicular pursuit standards for DC police, which is a tactical policing measure, while the Project 2025 DOJ section emphasizes dismantling criminal enterprises, enforcing mandatory minimums, and pursuing the death penalty. There is only a tangential connection through general goals of public safety and effective law enforcement."

Key themes:law enforcementpublic safetycrime reduction

— 554 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise attorneys are consistently using the tools at their disposal in cases with violent offenders, including pursuing mandatory minimum sentences under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA).43 The department should also support legislative efforts to provide further tools, such as the Restoring the Armed Career Criminal Act, which Senators Tom Cotton (R–AR), Marsha Blackburn (R–TN), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R–MS) introduced in 2021 in response to U.S. Supreme Court decisions neutering the ACCA.44 l Enforce the death penalty where appropriate and applicable. Capital punishment is a sensitive matter, as it should be, but the current crime wave makes deterrence vital at the federal, state, and local levels. However, providing this punishment without ever enforcing it provides justice neither for the victims’ families nor for the defendant. The next conservative Administration should therefore do everything possible to obtain finality for the 44 prisoners currently on federal death row. It should also pursue the death penalty for applicable crimes—particularly heinous crimes involving violence and sexual abuse of children—until Congress says otherwise through legislation.45 DISMANTLING DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES Criminal organizations are as old as crime itself, but are more extensive, sophisticated, and dangerous today than at any other point in history. The Department of Justice has a key role in tackling transnational criminal orga- nizations like Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Mexican drug cartels as well as purely domestic criminal organizations like those built on the more traditional mafia crime model as part of its obligation to ensure the safety and security of the American people. The department’s primary directive under the next Administration should be to return to an unapologetic focus on dismantling these criminal organizations and incarcerating their membership. Once this reprioritization occurs, the depart- ment’s political leadership should take concrete steps to use agency reach and resources to prevent these criminal organizations from operating and surviving. Assaulting the business model of these criminal organizations—which are massive, diversified enterprises with nationwide or international operations—is essential for success. The next Administration will therefore need to: l Revitalize the DOJ’s use of the array of statutory tools that exist for dealing with the threat of criminal organizations. The most potent ones are the simplest. For example, the department should:

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

Full Policy Text

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