1. BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP GRANT ACT
2. CARE FOR POLICE SURVIVORS ACT
3. PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT

Just as Police Week 1998 drew to a close, the Senate passed with unanimous consent three of the National Association of Police Organizations’ (NAPO) top legislative priorities.  As reported in earlier editions of the Washington Report and NAPO Bulletins, NAPO led the fight to pass these critically important bills and lobbied for their passage right up until the last minute.

During NAPO’s annual Legal Rights and Legislative Seminar April 18-21, 1998, our members in attendance spent a day making congressional visits and lobbying for the swift passage of these bills.  NAPO wishes to extend our thanks to those members whose efforts led to additional co-sponsors and congressional support.
 

BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP GRANT ACT OF 1998 (H.R. 2829/S. 1605)

History

On November 5, 1997, Congressmen Peter Visclosky (D-IN) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) sponsored H.R. 2829.  The Senate followed on February 4, 1998 with S. 1605 sponsored by Senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

The House passed H.R. 2829 on May 12, 1998 with a vote of 412-4.  The four members of the House who voted against H.R. 2829 were Representatives Roy Blunt (R-MO), Tom Campbell (R-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX) and Mark Sanford (R-SC).

Today, the Senate passed with unanimous consent S. 1605.  The bill now awaits President Clinton’s signature.

Benefits to Law Enforcement

The Justice Department estimates that about 150,000 law enforcement officers nationwide do not have bulletproof vests, which cost about $500 each.

When signed into law, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998 will:

• Create a new program to be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice to assist State and local authorities and Indian tribes in providing bulletproof vests to their officers.
• The grant will provide up to 50% of the cost of the vests, with local and state governments matching the remaining costs.
• $25 million has been authorized for fiscal years 1999-2001; at least half of the funds available will be awarded to units of local government with fewer than 100,000 residents.
• The bill gives preference to localities with average or above-average violent crime rates, local policies requiring officers to wear vests and greater-than-average need for additional vests.

Special Thanks

NAPO wishes to thank the following members of Congress and their staffs for their efforts with this legislation:  Representative Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO), Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
 

CARE FOR POLICE SURVIVORS ACT OF 1998 (H.R. 3565, S. 1985)

History

NAPO had this bill introduced at the request of the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS).  NAPO and COPS met with Representative Bill McCollum’s (R-FL) staff who took immediate action and introduced H.R. 3565 on March 26, 1998.

On April 24, 1998, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced S. 1985, the Senate companion bill.

On April 21, 1998, just as NAPO’s 1998 Legal Rights and Legislative Seminar was winding down, the House passed H.R. 3565 with a vote of 403-8.  The eight members of the House who voted against H.R. 3565 were Representatives Tom Campbell (R-CA), Helen Chenoweth (R-ID), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Jack Kingston (R-GA), Ron Paul (R-TX), Mark Sanford (R-SC), Joe Scarborough (R-FL) and Zach Wamp (R-TN).

Today, the Senate passed S. 1985 with unanimous consent.  The bill now awaits President Clinton’s signature.

Benefits to Law Enforcement

The Care for Police Survivors Act of 1998 will make two important amendments to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Act, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago.

The two amendments are:

• Authorization for the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to use funds from the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program “to maintain and enhance national peer support and counseling programs to assist families of public safety officers who have died in the line of duty.”  This amendment would not cost the taxpayer additional dollars, but rather, simply authorizes the Director to spend the funding that it now receives for this vital service.  Currently, the Director can legally only spend $150,000 for national peer support and counseling programs to assist surviving families.  The bill would require the Bureau of Justice Assistance to spend at least that amount.
• The other amendment will address the current backlog of cases left pending by the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Office, by authorizing PSOB funds to hire outside hearing officers.  As stated by Representative Bill McCollum (R-FL), under current law the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Office must wait an unreasonably long period of time for the availability of a Justice Department hearing officer to hear the appeal of a family member whose application for a death benefit has been turned down.

NAPO wishes to thank the following members of Congress and their staffs for their efforts with this legislation:  Representative Bill McCollum (R-FL), Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
 
 

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT (H.R. 2755, S. 1525)

History

On October 9, 1997, NAPO received national attention for our efforts to introduce the Public Safety Officers Educational Assistance Act of 1998 when President Clinton and Attorney General Reno announced their support during a White House Rose Garden Ceremony honoring the 1997 TOP COPS Awards winners.

On October 28, 1997, Congressmen Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN) introduced H.R. 2755.  On November 12, 1997, Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Joseph Biden (D-DE) introduced S. 1525, the companion bill in the Senate.

Today, the Senate passed S. 1525 with unanimous consent.  The House bill now awaits action by the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime.

Benefits to Law Enforcement

In the 104th Congress, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced S. 2101, the “Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance Act of 1996,” to provide educational assistance to the dependents of federal law enforcement officers who are killed or disabled in the performance of their duties.  It is known as the Degan bill, in memory of Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan who was shot and killed in 1992 during the Ruby Ridge incident.  The Degan bill was signed into law in October 1996.  The Public Safety Officers Educational Assistance Act will expand the Degan bill to provide financial assistance for higher education to the dependents of Federal, State and local public safety officers who are killed or permanently and totally disabled as the result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty.

Special Thanks

NAPO wishes to thank the following members of the Senate and their staffs for their efforts with this legislation:  Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE).  We look forward to swift action in the House.
 

DETECTIVES’ ENDOWMENT ASSN OF NYPD TO PAY TRIBUTE TO DETECTIVES KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY

Since the inception of the Detective Bureau of the New York Police Department, sixty-five detectives have died in the line of duty.  On June 19, 1998 the DEA will pay tribute to these outstanding individuals by dedicating a Memorial Ball Field and Monument in their honor.  The event will take place at Camp St. Edward, located on the waterfront shores of Princess Bay, Staten Island.  Camp St. Edward is operated by six nuns who provide camping opportunities for underprivileged, inner-city children.  The Ball Field was built and donated by the DEA for the camp and surrounding community to enjoy, while at the same time the Memorial stands to remind citizens of New York of the NYPD detectives who died in the line of duty.
 
NAPO PARTICIPATES IN CANDLELIGHT VIGIL AT THE NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL

The lives of 305 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty were honored during the 1998 Candlelight Vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday May 13, 1998.  NAPO President Thomas J. Scotto, Executive Director Robert T. Scully and Michael Madonna, President of the New Jersey State PBA (a NAPO member organization) read names of those being honored during the event.  Members of the New Jersey State PBA took pledges and made a remarkable bike journey to the Candlelight Vigil, donating $50,000 to the Memorial.  Federal, State and local officers from 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico were commemorated during the ceremony.  More than 10,000 friends, family members, and comrades of the fallen officers attended.  Attorney General Janet Reno delivered the keynote address.

 “The 14,622 names engraved on the Memorial walls are testimony to the fact that law enforcement is the most dangerous job in America,” said Craig Floyd, Memorial Chairman.  “Every day 700,000 officers put their lives on the line protecting our communities.  The Vigil is an important event that allows the nation to show its appreciation to these men and women for their service, commitment, and ultimately, their sacrifice.”

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was built in 1991 and bears the names of more than 14,000 Federal, State, and local officers who have died in the line of duty.   Of the 305 officers added to the Memorial this year, 160 were killed in 1997 and 145 were killed prior to 1997, some as far back as the 1880s.

The number of law enforcement officers killed in 1997 was up 21% from 1996.  Of those 160, 67 were shot to death, 45 died in automobile accidents, 14 were struck by vehicles, 11 succumbed to job-related illnesses, six were killed in falls, five were knifed to death, five lost their lives in aircraft accidents, four died in motorcycle accidents, one was strangled, one officer died in a bomb-related incident, and one officer was struck and killed by a train.  With this year’s 305 additions, there will be a total of 14,622 names engraved on the Memorial’s walls.  Since the Memorial’s dedication seven years ago, there have been 2,105 names added--an average of more than 300 per year.