BREAKING: The U.S. Senate just passed bipartisan legislation to finally fix a long-standing injustice faced by the families of retired police officers murdered in retaliation for their service.
The bill—The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act—was introduced by Nevada Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. It passed unanimously and now heads to the House of Representatives for a final vote.
The law is named after Chief Herbert D. Proffitt, a Korean War veteran and police chief in Tompkinsville, Kentucky. In 2012, he was brutally gunned down in his driveway by a man he had arrested a decade earlier. His murder was ruled a direct act of retaliation—but his family was denied federal benefits because he had already retired.
“Even though his murder was a direct retaliation for his service in uniform, Chief Proffitt’s family was denied the benefits they deserved simply because he had already retired. To me, that is unacceptable,” Sen. Cortez Masto told colleagues on the Senate floor.
While this bill cleared the Senate, five other pro-police measures were blocked, sparking partisan finger-pointing. Republicans accused Sen. Cory Booker of using the bills as leverage over federal funding for sanctuary cities. Only two bills ultimately passed—the Proffitt Act and the Improving Police CARE Act.
House Democrats and Republicans alike are now under pressure to move the bill swiftly to President Trump’s desk. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) called on GOP leadership to hold a September vote, saying: “We have an obligation to care for those who pay the ultimate price while serving—even after retirement.”
At a time when partisan fights are choking Congress, this rare bipartisan breakthrough is being hailed as a victory for America’s fallen heroes and their families.