April 22, 1998

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES “CARE FOR POLICE SURVIVORS ACT”

Just as NAPO’s 1998 Legal Rights & Legislative Seminar was winding down last night with our cocktail reception, we learned that the House passed the “Care for Police Survivors Act”, H.R. 3565, with a vote of 403-8.  As reported to you earlier, the bill would make two important amendments to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Act (signed into law more than 20 years ago).

The bill authorizes 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 spend $150,000 for the purpose of 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), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Crime, 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.

“Thank you, NAPO!  Your efforts with the ‘Care for Police Survivors Act’ were instrumental in its successful passage through the House.  We thank you for your steadfast support for the families of police officers killed in the line of duty!” said Suzie Sawyer, Executive Director of Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc (COPS).

NAPO will continue to work for its passage through the Senate.