Medal of Sacrifice Act
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The Medal of Sacrifice Act of 2025 directs the President to issue a medal of sacrifice honoring law enforcement officers and first responders killed in the line of duty, and establishes a commission to oversee the medal's design and awarding process.
What this law does
What it does
The act directs the President to issue a medal of sacrifice for local, state, tribal, territorial, or federal law enforcement officers and first responders killed in the line of duty. It establishes a 12-member Commission, appointed by the President within 150 days of enactment, to advise on the medal's design, promote its establishment, determine how it is presented, and set eligibility criteria. Officers or first responders subject to an official finding of wrongdoing are generally ineligible, but the Commission must investigate such cases and issue a final eligibility determination. The act also names three deputies — Ralph "Butch" Waller, Ignacio "Dan" Diaz, and Luis Paez — as the medal's initial recipients, and specifies the medal's physical design in detail. Commission members serve unpaid five-year terms and the Commission dissolves once the President determines its responsibilities are complete.
Key provisions
- 1Directs the President to issue a medal of sacrifice for law enforcement officers and first responders killed in the line of duty
- 2Establishes eligibility for the medal, excluding officers subject to an official finding of wrongdoing
- 3Requires the Commission to investigate and make a final eligibility determination when an official finding of wrongdoing exists
- 4Establishes a 12-member Commission on the medal of sacrifice, appointed by the President within 150 days, serving unpaid five-year terms
- 5Names three deputies as initial recipients of the medal of sacrifice
- 6Specifies the physical design, materials, and appearance of the medal
Who is affected
Local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal law enforcement officers and first responders killed in the line of duty, their families, the 12 individuals the President appoints to the Commission, and the three named deputies who receive the initial medals.
Why it matters
Families of officers and first responders killed in the line of duty gain a formal federal honor recognizing their loss, while the wrongdoing exception and Commission investigation process determine which fallen officers qualify, creating a structured but potentially contested eligibility review in cases involving alleged misconduct.
What changed
Changes to existing law
Creates 34 U.S.C. § 51101 (Sec. 2)
Creates a new medal of sacrifice program and commission for fallen law enforcement officers and first responders
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Deadline for the President to appoint the 12 Commission members
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 3497 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2026–2030 period, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that implementing the Medal of Sacrifice Act of 2025 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2026–2030 period — all of it discretionary spending (subject to future congressional appropriations), with zero effect on direct (mandatory) spending, revenues, or the deficit. The main cost driver is the estimated expense of roughly $250 per medal, with approximately 150 officers expected to be eligible annually based on recent line-of-duty death rates. CBO did not estimate costs beyond 2030. The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates.
How it works
The President must appoint 12 unpaid Commission members within 150 days of enactment, drawn from law enforcement officers, first responders, and knowledgeable organizations, serving five-year terms renewable once. The Commission advises on medal design and presentation, sets eligibility criteria, and investigates cases where an officer's superior or employing agency found an official act of wrongdoing, issuing final eligibility determinations in those cases. The Commission dissolves once the President determines it has completed its responsibilities.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Became Public Law No: 119-94.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
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.
Legislative subjects
Advisory bodies; Crime and Law Enforcement; First responders and emergency personnel; Law enforcement officers
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-466