Nashville Standard

United States Senators Bill Hagerty and Ruben Gallego have announced the reintroduction of the Innovate to De-Escalate Modernization Act, a bipartisan effort designed to address the use of non-lethal weapons by law enforcement agencies. The proposed legislation aims to offer law enforcement agencies the necessary resources while distinguishing less-than-lethal devices from traditional firearms.

Currently, existing laws create confusion by not adequately differentiating these technologies from conventional guns. The Innovate to De-Escalate Modernization Act seeks to address this by introducing a category for "less-than-lethal projectile devices" into federal law. Additionally, it will establish a statutory test to appropriately classify these devices, ensuring only true less-than-lethal options are permitted, thus enhancing both police support and community safety.

Senator Hagerty emphasized the importance of the legislation, stating, “It is crucial that police officers and sheriff’s deputies are equipped with the best available technology to keep Americans safe.” He noted that law enforcement officers continually risk their lives and that the proposed legislation will enable them to access effective tools for de-escalating dangerous scenarios.

Senator Gallego also highlighted the necessity of the legislation, saying, “Giving law enforcement the tools they need to safely de-escalate situations is important to keeping both our officers and communities safe.” He pointed out that existing bureaucratic challenges hinder police departments, particularly smaller ones, from acquiring less-than-lethal technologies, thus increasing the risk of dangerous encounters. Expressing his support for the bill, he added, “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan bill to give police departments of all sizes the technology to protect communities without resorting to deadly force.”

The proposed act represents a bipartisan initiative to improve law enforcement capabilities while promoting safety for officers and the communities they serve. Full details of the legislation are available for public review.