| Sponsor | Rep. Poe, Ted |
| Committee | Oversight and Government Reform |
| Date | February 25, 2009 (111th Congress, 1st Session) |
| Staff Contact | Adam Hepburn |
H.Res. 47 is being considered on the floor under suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority vote for passage. This legislation was introduced by Representative Ted Poe (R-TX) on January 9, 2009.
H.Res. 47 resolves that the House of Representatives:
- "Supports the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor Federal, State, and local peace officers killed or disabled in the line of duty; and
- "Calls upon the people of the United States to observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies and respect."
Current law designates May 15th of each year as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and Police Week is commemorated during the calendar week of the same date. The goal of Peace Officers Memorial Day is to honor Federal, State, and local peace officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The holiday usually centers around the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., whose walls feature the names of the more than 17,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
There are over 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. More than 18,340 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty since the first recorded police death in 1792. in 2008, 140 police officers were killed in the line of duty.