HR3497-119

What This Bill Does

The Medal of Sacrifice Act creates a presidential medal for law enforcement officers and first responders killed in the line of duty. It makes local, State, Tribal, territorial, and Federal officers and first responders eligible, but excludes a person whose death is tied to an official finding that the person acted outside the scope of duty or contrary to agency policy. It also creates a 12-member Commission on the medal of sacrifice, appointed by the President within 150 days, to advise on the medal's design, promote the award, decide how it is presented, make disputed eligibility determinations, and advise the President on eligibility criteria. The bill names Deputy Ralph Butch Waller, Deputy Ignacio Dan Diaz, and Deputy Luis Paez as recipients.

Who Benefits and How

Families and agencies of fallen law enforcement officers benefit because the bill creates a national honor for officers killed in the line of duty and specifies that the reverse of the medal bears the names of the fallen heroes. The bill specifically names Deputy Ralph Butch Waller, Deputy Ignacio Dan Diaz, and Deputy Luis Paez for awards.

Families and agencies of fallen first responders benefit in the same way: the medal gives formal presidential recognition to line-of-duty deaths across local, State, Tribal, territorial, and Federal service.

The Commission on the medal of sacrifice benefits from clear statutory authority to advise on the medal design, promote establishment of the medal, determine presentation methods, resolve eligibility questions where there is an official finding of wrongdoing, and advise the President on eligibility criteria.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The President bears implementation duties: establishing the medal, appointing 12 unpaid commission members within 150 days, filling vacancies, and eventually determining when the Commission has completed its responsibilities and should cease to exist.

The Commission bears the operational burden of designing and promoting the medal, determining presentation procedures, investigating deaths involving official findings of wrongdoing, making final eligibility determinations, and advising on eligibility criteria.

Employing law enforcement and first responder agencies bear a factual role when an official finding of wrongdoing exists, because the Commission must consider agency findings about whether the officer or responder acted outside the scope of duties or contrary to official policy.

Officers or responders subject to an official finding of wrongdoing are burdened because they are not automatically eligible; the Commission must investigate and make a final eligibility determination.

Key Provisions

• Directs the President to issue a Medal of Sacrifice for law enforcement officers and first responders killed in the line of duty.
• Makes local, State, Tribal, territorial, and Federal law enforcement officers and first responders eligible, but excludes deaths tied to an official finding of wrongdoing unless the Commission determines eligibility after investigation.
• Requires the President to establish a 12-member Commission on the medal of sacrifice and appoint members within 150 days for unpaid five-year terms, with members eligible for up to two terms.
• Gives the Commission duties over medal design, promotion, presentation, disputed eligibility determinations, and advice to the President on eligibility criteria.
• Requires the Commission to award the medal to Deputy Ralph Butch Waller, Deputy Ignacio Dan Diaz, and Deputy Luis Paez.
• Specifies the medal's physical design, including a modified quatrefoil shape, Great Seal elements, the word SACRIFICE, oak leaves honoring families and widows, engraved names on the reverse, blue or red ribbons, silver Ag925, 24k Gold Vermeil, a 2.25-inch diameter, and a 63-gram approximate weight.