{"id":2549338,"date":"2026-01-23T13:36:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T18:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fitzpatrick-gluesenkamp-perez-propose-tax-incentive-to-boost-police-retention\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T13:37:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T18:37:34","slug":"fitzpatrick-gluesenkamp-perez-propose-tax-incentive-to-boost-police-retention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fitzpatrick-gluesenkamp-perez-propose-tax-incentive-to-boost-police-retention\/","title":{"rendered":"Fitzpatrick, Gluesenkamp Perez propose tax incentive to boost police retention"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffitzpatrick-gluesenkamp-perez-propose-tax-incentive-to-boost-police-retention%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2549338&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Reps.Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) introduced the bipartisan Fuel the Force Act to boost recruitment and retention in law enforcement by offering a federal tax exemption on the first $100,000 of ordinary income for officers with at least five years of service. The proposal, backed by the Fraternal Order of Police and the Federal Law enforcement Officers Association, would apply broadly to federal, state, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-pledges-orderly-transition-of-power\/\" title=\"President Trump pledges orderly transition of power\">local law enforcement<\/a> and corrections personnel, including sheriffs, deputies, probation and parole officers, school resource officers, and judicial officers. The measure grew out of constituent Christina NelsonS Fuel the Force nonprofit and is designed to increase take-home pay without adding bureaucracy or unfunded mandates. Supporters say the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >incentive rewards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ilhan-omar-blasts-stacey-abrams-for-opposing-georgia-boycotts-demands-support-for-civil-rights-movement\/\" title=\"Ilhan Omar Blasts Stacey Abrams For Opposing Georgia Boycotts, Demands ... For \u2018Civil Rights\u2019 Movement\">long-term commitment<\/a><\/a>, improves financial security for officers, and helps departments become fully staffed-addressing a nationwide recruitment and retention shortfall highlighted by an IACP survey showing many agencies struggle to recruit and that resignations are moast likely within the first five years. Proponents emphasize the policy as both financial relief and public recognition of officers&#8217; service.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Fitzpatrick, Gluesenkamp Perez propose tax incentive to boost police retention and recruitment<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Nationwide <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/police-and-law-enforcement\/\">law enforcement<\/a> officers could see a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/taxes\/\">tax incentive<\/a> for their long-term commitment to service if a new bipartisan House bill gains traction.<\/p>\n<p>Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) introduced a bill on Friday aimed at increasing law enforcement retention at state, local, and federal levels. The bill <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/fueltheforce.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FITZBR_063_xml-11-18-25.pdf\">as drafted<\/a> rewards officers who have spent five years in law enforcement with a federal tax exemption on the first $100,000 of their ordinary income.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4431497\/duffy-ask-congress-approval-national-mall-indycar-race-america-250\/\">Duffy leads charge to ask Congress for approval for National Mall IndyCar race for America 250&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4430554\/key-takeaways-from-jack-smiths-house-judiciary-testimony\/\">Key takeaways from Jack Smith&rsquo;s House Judiciary testimony<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4430521\/real-housewives-star-angie-k-testifies-congress-support-american-franchise-act\/\">Real Housewives star Angie K testifies in Congress to support American Franchise Act<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;If we want safe communities, we must value those who protect them,&rdquo; Fitzpatrick said in a press conference. &ldquo;If we want strong departments, we must help officers build careers, not just start jobs. And if we want the next generation to serve, we must prove that service is met with support.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The legislation, dubbed the Fuel the Force Act, grew from Fitzpatrick&rsquo;s work with Christina Nelson, a constituent in Fitzpatrick&rsquo;s PA-01 district and founder of Fuel the Force &mdash; a nonprofit organization that works to give back and support police officers. The two began talking in 2022 about ways to increase retention and recruitment rates across law enforcement agencies and developed the proposed bill with the backing of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The bill is about more than tax policy,&rdquo; Nelson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about respect. It&rsquo;s about recognition, and it&rsquo;s about action. Across the country, law enforcement agencies are facing a serious recruitment, retention crisis. Departments are understaffed. Officers are stretched thin, and communities are feeling the impact.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4429503\/nypd-commissioner-demands-hospital-retrain-staff-withheld-treatment-police\/\">NYPD COMMISSIONER DEMANDS HOSPITAL RETRAIN STAFF WHO WITHHELD TREATMENT FROM POLICE OFFICERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nelson began the Fuel the Force nonprofit organization after years of supporting her local law enforcement by personally buying lunch for police officers who came into the Bucks County Italian market where she works. Nelson said the act also gives financially struggling officers &ldquo;greater financial security and peace of mind.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Fuel the Force Act is one concrete step we can take right now by increasing take-home pay without adding bureaucracy and unfunded mandates,&rdquo; Nelson said. &ldquo;When we retain experienced officers and attract qualified recruits, communities are safer. When departments are fully staffed, response times improve, proactive policing increases, and trust between officers and the communities they serve grows stronger.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-ways-and-means-committee\/\">Ways and Means<\/a> bill as drafted applies widely to federal, state, and local law enforcement or corrections officers, including police, corrections, probation, parole, school resource, and judicial officers, sheriffs, and deputies.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is always going to be a job that requires great sacrifice, but it shouldn&rsquo;t also come with such a high financial sacrifice for families and law enforcement,&rdquo; Gluesenkamp Perez said.<\/p>\n<p>Recruitment and retention for police and law enforcement agencies across the country have fallen for several years, with local departments struggling to retain officers and attract new career service members.<\/p>\n<p>In a 2024 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theiacp.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-11\/IACP_Recruitment_Report_Survey.pdf\">survey<\/a> of thousands of U.S. police agencies, 70% of surveyed departments have found it more difficult to recruit new officers, operating at about a 10% deficit on average due to recruitment problems, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The same survey showed that resignation is most likely within the first five years of an officer&rsquo;s hire.<\/p>\n<p>President of the Bucks County Police Chiefs&rsquo; Association Joseph C. Bartorilla said, in 1992, he took his final recruiting exam alongside 17,000 other possible officers. Now, Bartorilla said, Philadelphia police get a few hundred officers during recruitment drives. Bartorilla supports the five-year waiting period for the tax incentive outlined in the bill to ensure officers demonstrate a long-term commitment to service.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a profession. We want career-minded people to take the job,&rdquo; Bartorilla said.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3805865\/police-forces-are-lowering-education-standards-to-salve-shortages\/\">POLICE FORCES ARE LOWERING EDUCATION STANDARDS TO SALVE SHORTAGES. WHY DOES IT MATTER?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>FOP Second Vice President John Hoyt voiced his support for the organization for the bill on Friday. He said the order has been working for many years to address the recruitment and retention crises stemming from a &ldquo;perfect storm&rdquo; between the COVID-19 pandemic and a new generation entering the workforce with more career options.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When I was told about this bill, the first thing I thought about is, yes, there&rsquo;s a financial aspect to it that&rsquo;s important, but just as important, if not more, is the recognition of the sacrifice of our officers,&rdquo; Hoyt said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the support of sacrifice and the recognition of what we do on the streets, day to day.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tax break proposed to boost police retention<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2549339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_7814-e1769190993944.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[36801,28902,71780,71782,71781],"class_list":["post-2549338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-bipartisan-legislation","tag-fitzpatrick","tag-gluesenkamp-perez","tag-police-retention","tag-tax-incentive"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_7814-e1769190993944.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2549338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2549338"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2549338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2549342,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2549338\/revisions\/2549342"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2549339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2549338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2549338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2549338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}