District of Columbia Policing Protection Act of 2025
What does the District of Columbia Policing Protection Act of 2025 do?
HR 5143 is a House bill sponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA-3). Amends the D.C. Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-345) to rewrite the vehicular pursuit standard. Section 128 is replaced with a rule that an officer who encounters a suspect fleeing in a motor vehicle shall engage in a vehicular pursuit unless the officer, or a higher-ranking official with supervisory authority over the officer, reasonably believes pursuit would entail an unacceptable risk of harm to a person other than the suspect or be futile, or that the suspect can be apprehended more effectively or expeditiously by another means. Section 127(a) is trimmed to eliminate paragraphs (1)-(5) and (8)-(11) and renumber the survivors, and the subtitle S heading is updated. Subsection (b) requires the Attorney General, within three years, to evaluate PursuitAlert or a similar technology and report to four named congressional committees.
Did HR 5143 pass? Where it stands
As of July 17, 2026, HR 5143 has passed the House.
Status: Passed House
Latest vote: House Passed 245–182 on September 17, 2025
Outlook: Moderate
Key provisions
- Shall-Pursue Default with Three Exceptions
- Section 128 of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 is rewritten (subsections (a), (b), and (c) struck and replaced)
- Officer shall engage in vehicular pursuit unless the officer or a supervisor reasonably believes it (A) would entail an unacceptable risk of harm to a person other than the suspect, (B) would be futile, or (C) the suspect can be apprehended more effectively or expeditiously by another means
- Section 127(a) Trimmed and Renumbered
- Paragraphs (1)-(5) struck
- Paragraphs (6) and (7) redesignated as (1) and (2)
- Paragraphs (8)-(11) struck; paragraph (12) redesignated as (3)
- Subtitle S heading updated by striking "LIMITATIONS ON THE"
- DOJ PursuitAlert Evaluation
- Attorney General must evaluate costs and benefits of MPD adopting PursuitAlert or a similar technology within three years of enactment
- Report to Senate HSGAC, Senate Judiciary, House Oversight, and House Judiciary committees
Last updated July 15, 2026