H.R. 1556: Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-03-16 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-03-16 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act

Plain summary

Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act This bill revises the authority of the Department of Defense (DOD) to transfer excess personal property to federal and state law enforcement agencies. DOD's authority to transfer property for counter-drug activities is eliminated. DOD property recipients must: (1) provide DOD with a description of intended use; and (2) certify that they have appropriate personnel, technical capacity, and training and will return any surplus DOD property. Non-federal recipients must certify that they have notified their local community of requests for DOD property. The following transfers are prohibited: controlled firearms, ammunition, grenades, and explosives; controlled vehicles, certain trucks, and other highly mobile or mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles; armored or weaponized drones; controlled aircraft that are combat configured or combat coded, or that have no established commercial flight application; silencers; long range acoustic devices; and items in the Federal Supply Class of banned items. Transfers conditioned upon the agency demonstrating the use of any small arms or ammunitions are prohibited. Transfers of previously transferred DOD property from one federal or state agency to another such agency are prohibited. DOD may waive transfer prohibitions for certain trucks and vehicles (other than mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles) if necessary for disasters, rescues, or other purposes where life and public safety are at risk. DOD shall require as a condition of any property transfer that the recipient agency shall return the property if the agency is: (1) investigated by the Department of Justice for any violation of civil liberties, or (2) otherwise found to have engaged in widespread abuses of civil liberties. Obligations or expenditures of appropriations to carry out DOD's property transfer program are prohibited unless specified conditions are met. Federal or state agencies that receive controlled property may not take ownership of such property.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4] · 38 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Katherine M. Clark (D-MA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [D-GA-4] reported raising $514,399 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr1556.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr1556 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115