Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) have reintroduced bipartisan legislation expanding police access to non-lethal weapons.
The bill in question is the Innovate to De-Escalate Act, which, as Cactus Politics covered in September, was introduced by Representative David Schweikert (R-AZ).
As we previously explained, the Innovate to De-Escalate Act removes an excise tax equally applied to non-lethal projectile weapons and conventional firearms by clarifying that Tasers and other devices are not firearms under the definitions set in the National Firearms Act of 1934 or the Gun Control Act of 1968.
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By easing the tax burden, innovators are more able to expand the production of non-lethal police weaponry as the police use of deadly force has come under scrutiny in recent years.
"Giving law enforcement the tools they need to safely de-escalate situations is important to keeping both our officers and communities safe," said Sen. Gallego in his press release, adding, "Right now, red tape is making it harder for police departments, especially smaller ones, to access less-than-lethal technology, making encounters more dangerous and potentially deadly. 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."
Similarly, Sen. Hagerty said, "It is crucial that police officers and sheriff's deputies are equipped with the best available technology to keep Americans safe."
"Our brave law enforcement officers put their lives in danger every shift, and I'm pleased to introduce this legislation that will ensure they have access to the most effective tools to de-escalate dangerous situations," Sen. Hagerty concluded.
The Innovate to De-Escalate Act is the latest in Sen. Gallego's efforts to work across the aisle, cosponsoring three pieces of legislation in March alone, starting with the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act.
Later, the Arizona Senator joined Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in introducing the Social Security Overpayment Relief Act. At the end of the month, Gallego cosponsored the Mining Schools Act of 2025 with Senator John Barrasso (R-WY).
