Federal Halo Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8796
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-13: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-22T13:39:00Z
AI-Generated Summary
Federal Halo Act (H.R. 8796)
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill aims to create a safety buffer zone around federal law enforcement officers to prevent interference with their duties. It adds a new criminal offense under U.S. law to protect officers from being approached too closely after a warning.
Key Provisions Outlined
- Definitions:
- A Federal law enforcement officer refers to any federal officer or agent performing lawful duties.
- Harass means knowingly engaging in repeated actions directed at an officer that cause significant emotional distress without a valid reason.
- Offense: It becomes illegal for someone to approach or stay within 15 feet of a federal officer after receiving a verbal warning from the officer (or someone the person knows or should know is an officer). This applies only if the approach is done with the intent to:
- Block the officer from doing their job.
- Threaten physical harm to the officer.
- Harass the officer.
- Penalty: Violators can face a fine, up to 5 years in prison, or both.
- The bill adds this rule as Section 1522 in Chapter 73 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code and updates the table of sections accordingly.
Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced
- Creates a new federal crime focused on maintaining a 15-foot buffer zone around officers after a warning, which did not exist in this specific form before.
- Expands protections for officers by criminalizing certain close approaches tied to interference, threats, or harassment.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Strengthens tools for federal law enforcement agencies to manage crowds or individuals near officers during operations.
- On citizens: Limits how close people can get to federal officers in certain situations, potentially affecting public interactions, protests, or filming.
- On international relations: No direct effects noted in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal law enforcement officers and agencies.
- Individuals who may interact with federal officers, such as members of the public or activists.
- The Department of Justice and federal courts, which would handle enforcement and prosecutions.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Introduces a new restriction on physical proximity that could intersect with rights to free speech or assembly, though the bill ties violations to specific intents like interference.
- Relies on a verbal warning as a key trigger, which may raise questions about how warnings are given and understood in practice.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4], Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-13: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-05-13: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Federal Halo Act — issued 2026-05-13 — PDF (3 pages)