Senators Coons, Murkowski introduce bipartisan, bicameral bill to address prosecutor hiring crisis

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the Helping Improve Recruitment and Retention Efforts for (HIRRE) Prosecutors Act of 2025, bipartisan and bicameral legislation to address the nationwide crisis in recruiting and retaining local prosecutors. U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) introduced a companion bill in the House.

"Prosecutors uphold the rule of law, protect the public, and keep Americans safe," said Senator Coons. "Across the country, they are struggling to do their jobs because there simply aren't enough of them, slowing down our justice system and leaving defendants and victims in limbo. This bipartisan bill will help local and state offices in Delaware and across the country hire more prosecutors and increase salaries for prosecutors already on the job, ensuring justice is done more fairly and swiftly."

"When I met with Alaska's Department of Law last year, I was dismayed to learn that cases were getting dismissed in Anchorage because the municipality lacked a sufficient number of prosecutors to advocate for crime victims," said Senator Murkowski. "Although the staffing shortage has since been resolved, it does not change the need for this legislation which will equip states and communities with the resources they need to hire, train, and retain prosecutors and allow justice to be delivered for crime victims across the country."

Prosecutor vacancies have surged across the nation, straining the criminal justice system and undermining public safety. District attorneys' offices have reported substantial staff turnover as it becomes increasingly difficult for states and localities to hire and retain the prosecutors needed to investigate and prosecute cases. Some offices are seeing vacancy rates as high as 33 percent. This makes it harder to bring cases to trial quickly and places undue strain on trial preparation. High turnover rates make it more likely that challenging cases are brought by inexperienced prosecutors. All these factors make it more likely that criminals go free and that justice is delayed for all.

A 2024 National District Attorneys Association study highlights the severity of the challenge in states like Delaware and Alaska. In Delaware, 53% of surveyed prosecutors reported they had considered leaving their jobs within the last year, with more than two-thirds of that group citing better pay as a key factor. In Alaska, the numbers were 65% and 33%, respectively. Unlike local law enforcement agencies, which benefit from the Department of Justice's COPS Hiring Program, prosecutors' offices receive little to no comparable federal support. The HIRRE Prosecutors Act addresses this gap by creating the first federal program dedicated to strengthening hiring, retention, and training in prosecutors' offices throughout the country.

Modeled after the successful COPS Hiring Program, this new initiative would provide targeted federal assistance to help district attorneys' offices keep experienced prosecutors on staff, attract new talent, and ensure communities have the personnel needed to uphold justice and maintain public safety.

Specifically, the bill would:

• Establish a competitive grant program for state and local prosecutor offices to hire, retain, and train prosecutors and critical support staff
• Prioritize applications from rural jurisdictions, which often face the greatest staffing challenges
• Authorize $10 million per year for five years to support recruitment, retention, and professional development

The HIRRE Prosecutors Act of 2025 is endorsed by the National District Attorneys Association and the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO).

"Across America, offices like mine are experiencing the same thing: our teams are drowning because we can't afford to hire the people we need or to keep the people we have," said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings. "Prosecutors are mission-critical for safer communities, but it costs them to do this work: new attorneys at private sector law firms regularly earn more than double even our most senior prosecutors. Our people live and breathe their mission, but the economy is forcing them to leave public service entirely. This is becoming a crisis-but Sen. Coons and Sen. Murkowski are giving us a fighting chance with the HIRRE Prosecutors Act. These funds would make real, meaningful investments in the people who do this work every day, strengthening local law enforcement, reducing caseloads, and ensuring that the justice system can do right by victims, defendants, and communities alike."

"I'm proud to stand behind the HIRRE Prosecutor Act," said Alaska Attorney General Stephen J. Cox. "Prosecutor retention is a nationwide challenge, but in Alaska, it's more of a crisis. Our vast geography and remote communities demand an extraordinary level of commitment to public safety. This legislation helps by giving us additional tools to recruit and retain dedicated prosecutors who are ready to meet Alaska's unique demands and deliver justice where it's needed most."

"The HIRRE Prosecutors Act is a great step toward rebuilding the prosecutor corps that is a part of every community," said Joe Dallaire, District Attorney in Fairbanks, AK, and Chair of NDAA's Recruitment & Retention Committee. "The National Prosecutor Retention Survey we conducted last year was a wake-up call for anyone who cares about public safety. Prosecutors want to do this work-we are passionate about it-but without adequate support, we risk losing dedicated public servants at an alarming rate. This bill answers that reality with targeted help to hire, train, and keep the prosecutors we need in court and on the front lines."

"The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) strongly supports the HIRRE Prosecutors Act for its immediate, transformative impact on prosecutors' offices nationwide. This Act addresses critical issues seen in jurisdictions of all sizes like understaffing, heavy caseloads, and high turnover by establishing a federal grant program to fund hiring, training, and retention. Prosecutors are vital to our justice system and public safety, and this legislation will ensure they have the necessary resources to protect our communities effectively," said Nelson Bunn, NDAA Executive Director.

A one-pager is available here.

The text of the bill is available here.