Today, Representative Don Bacon and Larry Cosme, National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) – the nation’s largest non-partisan, non-for-profit professional association representing more than 31,000 federal law enforcement officers and agents across 65 federal agencies – released the following statement regarding passage of the Department of Defense Law Enforcement Credential Act of 2022 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):
“FLEOA is proud to announce passage of the Department of Defense Law Enforcement Credential Act of 2022 as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. This bill will require DOD to develop and issue standardized identification credentials for DOD law enforcement officers. Too often we hear shameful stories of state, local, and even other federal government entities denying that DOD law enforcement are federal officers due to a lack of standardized credentials. A lack of clear credentials has even led some states to deny DOD law enforcement their LEOSA rights. This must end,” FLEOA President Cosme said. “With this legislation, Congress takes another step closer to providing all law enforcement, across the federal government, equal rights and respect under federal law. We thank Rep. Don Bacon for continually championing this bill and advocating for law enforcement.”
“Civilian law enforcement officers employed by the Department of Defense go above and beyond the call of duty to serve and protect, but they need the proper credentials to do their job,” said Representative Bacon. “This policy is long overdue and I’m glad to see my bill included in this year’s NDAA for Fiscal Year 2023. We must continue to ensure that those who protect us are respected and have equal rights under the law.”
