WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance is accepting nominations beginning today for the Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery and the State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery.

Every day, federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers engage in exceptional acts of bravery while in the line of duty. To honor these acts of bravery, Congress passed the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-298) creating the Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery and the State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery.

WHAT: The 2010 Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery and the State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery.

NOMINATION PERIOD: Open December 15, 2010 through February 15, 2011, nominations must be submitted through the online Congressional Badge of Bravery nominating system, available at www.ojp.gov/BJA/CBOB

CRITERIA: Acts of bravery, as described by the Act, performed between January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010, by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officer(s), nominated by their agency’s leadership.

REFERENCES: Additional information about the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery is available at www.ojp.gov/BJA/CBOB