• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
      Do you know your emotional intelligence?
      Addressing racism in the workplace
      Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
      Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Addressing racism in the workplace
        Supervisory actions: Deliberate style or weak skills?
        Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
    • Editor’s Picks
      • The future is here
        A winding road
        Do you know your emotional intelligence?
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        “Hold my beer”
    • On the Job
      • A winding road
        Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
        I brought home a dog
        Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
        Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
    • Labor
      • Building positive media relations
        LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
        Racing with a purpose
        Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
        Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
    • Tech
      • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
        Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
        The future is here
        How local police departments can combat cybercrime
        Your website is your front desk
    • Training
      • Using critical thinking to crack the case
        Navigating cultural and language barriers
        Why you should pocket carry
        The future is here
        Training for tomorrow
    • Policy
      • Consolidation in action
        California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
        Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
        California makes police misconduct records publicly available
        A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
    • Health/Wellness
      • The warm path and the hot path
        Understanding chronic pain and depression
        Suicide and first responder retirement
        A golden key to suicide prevention
        The urgency to protect those who protect us
    • Community
      • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
        Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
        Turning over a new leaf
        Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
        An unexpected reunion
    • Offbeat
      • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
        Only in California?
        Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
    • We Remember
      • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
        Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        Team Romeo
        National Police Week 2025
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • A winding road
      Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding
      I brought home a dog
      Six Mexican cartels designated as terrorist organizations
      Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
  • Labor
    • Building positive media relations
      LEO labor and community outreach — make the haters scoff
      Racing with a purpose
      Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
      Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
  • Tech
    • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and...
      Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and...
      The future is here
      How local police departments can combat cybercrime
      Your website is your front desk
  • Training
    • Using critical thinking to crack the case
      Navigating cultural and language barriers
      Why you should pocket carry
      The future is here
      Training for tomorrow
  • Policy
    • Consolidation in action
      California lawmakers push mask ban for officers, raising safety...
      Proactive policing: What it is and how to do it
      California makes police misconduct records publicly available
      A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
  • Health/Wellness
    • The warm path and the hot path
      Understanding chronic pain and depression
      Suicide and first responder retirement
      A golden key to suicide prevention
      The urgency to protect those who protect us
  • Community
    • A bold idea for reducing homelessness in America
      Operation Brain Freeze keeps community cool
      Turning over a new leaf
      Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids
      An unexpected reunion
  • Offbeat
    • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
      Only in California?
      Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
  • We Remember
    • York County ambush leaves three officers dead, others critically...
      Honoring the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      Team Romeo
      National Police Week 2025
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

Policy

Biden signs three bipartisan law enforcement support bills into law

APB Team Published November 30, 2021 @ 4:00 pm PST

President Joe Biden portrait, 2021
 (whitehouse.gov)

President Biden signed three law enforcement support bills into law on Nov. 18 that passed due to a bipartisan effort from legislators.

The Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021, the COPS Counseling Act, and the Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Federal Officers and Employees Protection Act passed with near unanimous support, aiming to solve several problems facing the law enforcement community.

Biden acknowledged the challenges the law enforcement community faces and the support they desperately need, calling for greater resources.

“It’s going to require more resources, not fewer resources,” he said at the signing.

For a quick rundown on the bills, the Protecting America’s First Responders Act aims to provide improved access to benefits for officers injured in the line of duty.

Authored by Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the law enables first responders disabled in the line of duty to have prompt access to benefits. Formerly, benefits from death or disability are provided in a lump sum adjusted yearly according to the consumer price index.

The new law will require the total benefit amount to be based on the consumer price index on the date of adjudication rather than the date of injury, as the adjudication process can sometimes take a long time.

The COPS (Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support) Counseling Act ensures confidentiality for federal law enforcement officers who make use of peer support services, with the exception of admissions of criminal conduct or serious threats of violence. The bill also will provide a list of best practices for peer support programs and training programs to become peer support mentors to encourage agencies to implement the programs.

The COPS Act passed the House on a 424-3 vote. Notably, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez was one of the three to vote no.

Finally, the Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Federal Officers and Employees Protection Act will make it so individuals who have killed or attempted to kill a federal officer or employee overseas can be prosecuted in the United States.

The bill was named after ICE Special Agents Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila, were attacked by Mexican drug cartels in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 2011. Zapata died from his injuries.

Despite the murderers being apprehended, a federal appeals court dismissed the murder convictions due to the district court not having jurisdiction over the crimes committed to law enforcement while overseas.

The legislation will clarify that federal officers and employees serving abroad are protected, and allows U.S. courts to prosecute their attackers.

Categories: Policy Tags: policy, murder, Joe Biden, law enforcement support bills, injury benefits, Chuck Grassley, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Jaime Zapata, federal agent, Cops, bipartisan

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Justice Federal Credit Union stands ready to offer members special assistance in the event of a federal government shutdown
  • New Jersey school district first to adopt AI gun detection and emergency alerts
  • The warm path and the hot path
  • A candid chat with law enforcement Explorer scouts
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Announces 2025 Ambassador Impact Award Winner
  • Understanding chronic pain and depression
  • Hawaii police harness virtual reality technology to train, secure and recruit
  • Suicide and first responder retirement
  • Consolidation in action
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund launches 2025 Bid for the Badge online auction

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The future is here

The future is here

August 21, 2025

A winding road

A winding road

August 20, 2025

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

Do you know your emotional intelligence?

August 17, 2025

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

Law enforcement responds to tragic Texas flooding

August 11, 2025

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2025 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.