President Joe Biden signed three pieces of bipartisan legislation into law on Thursday in support of police officers, the law enforcement community, and federal officials.
Biden Signs Bills Benefitting Law Enforcement, First Responders
The "Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021," authored by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, would better ensure that law enforcement and first responders who are disabled in the line of duty have prompt access to benefits.
November 18, 2021
2 min to read
The president signed into law S. 1511, the "Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021," S. 1502, the "Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act or the COPS Counseling Act," and S. 921, the "Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Federal Officers and Employees Protection Act," Fox News reports.
The "Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021," authored by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, would better ensure that law enforcement and first responders who are disabled in the line of duty have prompt access to benefits.
The "Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act" or the "COPS Counseling Act" sets requirements for peer support counseling programs to be provided by a law enforcement agency.
That bill, authored by Grassley, and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., would provide confidentiality to federal law enforcement officers who use peer counseling services, while excepting admissions of criminal conduct or threats of serious physical harm. The bill would also encourage first responder agencies to adopt peer counseling programs by requiring the DOJ to make best practices publicly available on its website and to provide a list of training programs for individuals to become peer support mentors.
The "Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Federal Officers and Employees Protection Act" was led by Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, and Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. The bill was cosponsored by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo. Grassley joined his Senate colleagues in supporting the legislation.
The bill ensures that individuals who have killed or attempted to kill U.S. federal officers and employees serving abroad can be brought to justice and prosecuted in the United States.
More Patrol
Colorado State Patrol Releases 2025 Struck-By Analysis
The Colorado State Patrol, after analyzing its 2025 struck-by incidents, identified one area for improvement: using traffic cones to provide advanced warning before the cruiser's location. Here is the agency’s final data.
Read More →
Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →
The Mission After the Moment
The mission of the Jorge Pastore Foundation is to support first responders through essential training, stronger community engagement, and mental wellness resources, all accessible and funded through donations, sponsorships, and foundation-led fundraising. It works closely with Team Wendy in the discussions about developing better protective gear for officers.
Read More →
Sponsored•March 17, 2026
Built for Patrol: How One Police Chief Fixed Communication, Boosted Visibility, and Changed the Culture
Patrol work hasn’t changed—but the expectations on officers have. See how one police chief helped officers get the right information at the right time, improve patrol visibility, and strengthen trust without adding complexity or surveillance. This real-world story shows how patrol-driven technology can make the job safer, smarter, and more effective—starting on day one.
Read More →
Sponsored•March 2, 2026
Safariland Solis Rethinks Concealable Duty
What if Level I retention didn’t require a full duty rig? Safariland’s Solis delivers trusted ALS security in a streamlined OWB platform built for administrative and plainclothes professionals who need protection without the bulk.
Read More →
K-9s Play a Critical Role in Finding Missing Persons
Real-world scenarios show that a tracking canine can detect and follow a human track several hours after it was made.
Read More →
Garmont Tactical’s LE Boot Lineup
In this video, we get a look at the latest law enforcement boots from Garmont Tactical, both for men and women. Kyle Ferdyn, sales manager, showcases four of the latest boots.
Read More →
Avon Protection Launches EXOSKIN-S2 High-Performance CBRN Protective Suit
With the commercial availability of Avon Protection’s EXOSKIN-S2, users now have increased options for their protective suit requirements across the spectrum of CBRN threat environments.
Read More →
Versaterm Acquires Aloft to Unlock a New Era of Drones for Public Safety
Versaterm has acquired Aloft, an FAA-approved Unmanned Service Supplier (USS) that specializes in real-time airspace intelligence and flight authorizations.
Read More →