Bill

H.R. 5143 (119th): District of Columbia Policing Protection Act

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.

house · Substantive

Rankings updated October 26, 2026, 11:44 AM ET · Votes through September 30, 2026
Exported candidates: 719 | Filings on file, by office: H: 5838 | P: 1467 | S: 1567. These counts include every filing for that office, so they are larger than the ranked list. One person can have more than one filing. Non-voting delegates are left out.

Official source

Summary

Recorded summary

H.R. 5143 (the District of Columbia Policing Protection Act) repeals the current DC restrictions on police vehicular pursuits, which generally limit pursuits to serious violent crime or immediate threats and require that other options be exhausted. In their place, the bill generally requires officers to pursue suspects fleeing in vehicles unless the officer or a higher-ranking officer reasonably believes the pursuit would be futile, would pose an unacceptable risk of harm to someone other than the suspect, or that the suspect can be apprehended more effectively by other means. The bill also directs 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 to an active police pursuit nearby.

civil_authoritydistrict_of_columbiafederal_preemptionpolice_accountabilitypolicingpublic_safety

Theological note: The bill bears on the duty of civil authorities to protect the innocent from harm and to exercise force with restraint and proportion, a concern of general equity. Its central question is how to balance apprehending fleeing suspects against the risk of death or injury to bystanders and the public. This is a prudential public-safety question about police discretion and risk, not a direct advancement or restraint of a named moral evil.

Scoring

How this bill is scored

Debt and war Cloture and Tier 1 Procedural votes Scoring mechanics

Roll

Recorded votes

Roll 275 · 17-Sep-2025 6:16 PM · On Passage · Passed

Yea 245 · Nay 182 · Other 5

Yea

Nay

Other

All bills · Markdown