Ellington

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has passed a bill setting up a national alert system whenever a police officer is killed or injured.

Supporters say the bill would ensure that information about suspects is quickly shared with other law enforcement agencies and the public.

The program would be managed by the Justice Department. Participation by state and local police agencies would be voluntary. About 20 states already have similar systems.

The House passed the bill Tuesday by voice vote. The Senate passed the bill unanimously in April. It now goes to President Barack Obama.

The bill is named after New York City police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, who were killed last year.