Rep. Fitzgerald’s NDO Fairness Act and Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act Pass House Judiciary Committee

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee passed two bills he introduced, the NDO Fairness Act and the Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act of 2025.

NDO Fairness Act

“The federal government should not be able to pull the personal data of individuals under investigation and then hide that fact indefinitely,” said Congressman Fitzgerald. “The NDO Fairness Act puts guardrails in place to restore transparency, reinforce constitutional rights, and end this pattern of surveillance overreach. I thank Chairman Jordan for bringing this bill before the Committee, especially with the recent revelation that Special Counsel, Jack Smith, sought and obtained cell phone records of Members of Congress, and then prevented notification of that search through a non-disclosure order.”

Background: The NDO Fairness Act reins in prosecutorial abuse and executive branch overreach by strengthening the standards prosecutors must meet when seeking to place non-disclosure orders (NDOs) on service providers. This bill will prevent federal prosecutors from using indefinite and often boilerplate secrecy orders to access third-party communications data. It will also ensure an individual is notified within 90 days when their data was searched and allow that individual to request a copy of any information disclosed.

Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act of 2025

“Law enforcement depends on effective less-than-lethal tools to respond safely in unpredictable situations,” said Congressman Fitzgerald. “As technology advances, our laws need to keep pace so departments can access equipment that helps protect officers and the public. The Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act makes that possible, and I’m proud to see it moving forward.”

Background: This legislation modernizes the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) by excluding “less-than-lethal projectile devices” from its definition of the term “firearm.” Under the current reading of the GCA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) considers new models of less-than-lethal equipment, such as TASER devices, to be classified as firearms due to the way an object is propelled, although they do not carry a substantial risk of serious injury or death. The current classification has made procurement of these devices, critical for self-defense and de-escalation, difficult for law enforcement. This also leads to the misclassification of police officers’ use of force, as the use of any firearm is considered “deadly force” by a majority of states.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.