To improve the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program.

Summary: Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvements Act of 2012 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to revise provisions concerning public safety officer death or disability benefits, including by: (1) modifying the list of recipients of death benefits payable when a public safety officer has died as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty to include as an eligible individual, if there is no other individual meeting existing eligibility requirements, the surviving individual (or individuals, in equal shares) who would qualify as an eligible "child" but for age; (2) providing that disability benefits shall be payable when an officer has become permanently and totally disabled as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury (currently, as the direct result of a catastrophic injury) sustained in the line of duty; (3) eliminating the $5,000,000 limit on total annual disability benefits paid; (4) providing that death or disability benefits shall not be in addition to payments under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001; (5) revising the criteria for death resulting from a heart attack, stroke, or vascular rupture suffered by a public safety officer while on duty; (6) including within the definitions of "member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew" and "public safety officer" an officially recognized or designated employee or volunteer member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew that is a public agency or a nonprofit entity serving the public that is officially authorized or licensed to engage in rescue activity or to provide emergency medical services and that engages in rescue activities or provides emergency medical services as part of an official emergency response system; and (7) making those who have sustained a catastrophic injury in the line of duty eligible for peer support and counseling programs.

Makes funds available for appeals from final determinations (currently, decisions) of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and for expenses of representation of hearing examiners, with respect to public safety officer's death benefits under specified circumstances. Provides that no appeal shall bring a final determination of the Bureau before any court for review unless notice of appeal is filed within 90 days after the date on which the Bureau serves notice of the final determination. Defines a "hearing examiner" under such Act to include any medical or claims examiner.

Makes this Act applicable to injuries sustained by a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew on or after June 1, 2009. Makes provisions regarding the presumption of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty for public safety officers applicable to heart attacks, strokes, and vascular ruptures sustained on or after December 15, 2003.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Public Safety Officers' Benefits 
Improvements Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN NONPROFIT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE 
              PROVIDERS; MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 901(a) (42 U.S.C. 3791(a))--
                    (A) in paragraph (26), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (27), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(28) the term `hearing examiner' includes any medical or 
        claims examiner.'';
            (2) in section 1201 (42 U.S.C. 3796)--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``follows:'' and 
                all that follows and inserting the following: ``follows 
                (if the payee indicated is living on the date on which 
                the determination is made)--
            ``(1) if there is no child who survived the public safety 
        officer, to the surviving spouse of the public safety officer;
            ``(2) if there is at least 1 child who survived the public 
        safety officer and a surviving spouse of the public safety 
        officer, 50 percent to the surviving child (or children, in 
        equal shares) and 50 percent to the surviving spouse;
            ``(3) if there is no surviving spouse of the public safety 
        officer, to the surviving child (or children, in equal shares);
            ``(4) if there is no surviving spouse of the public safety 
        officer and no surviving child--
                    ``(A) to the surviving individual (or individuals, 
                in shares per the designation, or, otherwise, in equal 
                shares) designated by the public safety officer to 
                receive benefits under this subsection in the most 
                recently executed designation of beneficiary of the 
                public safety officer on file at the time of death with 
                the public safety agency, organization, or unit; or
                    ``(B) if there is no individual qualifying under 
                subparagraph (A), to the surviving individual (or 
                individuals, in equal shares) designated by the public 
                safety officer to receive benefits under the most 
                recently executed life insurance policy of the public 
                safety officer on file at the time of death with the 
                public safety agency, organization, or unit;
            ``(5) if there is no individual qualifying under paragraph 
        (1), (2), (3), or (4), to the surviving parent (or parents, in 
        equal shares) of the public safety officer; or
            ``(6) if there is no individual qualifying under paragraph 
        (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5), to the surviving individual (or 
        individuals, in equal shares) who would qualify under the 
        definition of the term `child' under section 1204 but for 
        age.'';
                    (B) in subsection (b)--
                            (i) by striking ``direct result of a 
                        catastrophic'' and inserting ``direct and 
                        proximate result of a personal'';
                            (ii) by striking ``pay,'' and all that 
                        follows through ``the same'' and inserting 
                        ``pay the same'';
                            (iii) by striking ``in any year'' and 
                        inserting ``to the public safety officer (if 
                        living on the date on which the determination 
                        is made)'';
                            (iv) by striking ``in such year, adjusted'' 
                        and inserting ``with respect to the date on 
                        which the catastrophic injury occurred, as 
                        adjusted'';
                            (v) by striking ``, to such officer'';
                            (vi) by striking ``the total'' and all that 
                        follows through ``For'' and inserting ``for''; 
                        and
                            (vii) by striking ``That these'' and all 
                        that follows through the period, and inserting 
                        ``That the amount payable under this subsection 
                        shall be the amount payable as of the date of 
                        catastrophic injury of such public safety 
                        officer.'';
                    (C) in subsection (f)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, as 
                        amended (D.C. Code, sec. 4-622); or'' and 
                        inserting a semicolon;
                            (ii) in paragraph (2)--
                                    (I) by striking ``. Such 
                                beneficiaries shall only receive 
                                benefits under such section 8191 that'' 
                                and inserting ``, such that 
                                beneficiaries shall receive only such 
                                benefits under such section 8191 as''; 
                                and
                                    (II) by striking the period at the 
                                end and inserting ``; or''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) payments under the September 11th Victim Compensation 
        Fund of 2001 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note; Public Law 107-42).'';
                    (D) by amending subsection (k) to read as follows:
    ``(k) As determined by the Bureau, a heart attack, stroke, or 
vascular rupture suffered by a public safety officer shall be presumed 
to constitute a personal injury within the meaning of subsection (a), 
sustained in the line of duty by the officer and directly and 
proximately resulting in death, if--
            ``(1) the public safety officer, while on duty--
                    ``(A) engages in a situation involving nonroutine 
                stressful or strenuous physical law enforcement, fire 
                suppression, rescue, hazardous material response, 
                emergency medical services, prison security, disaster 
                relief, or other emergency response activity; or
                    ``(B) participates in a training exercise involving 
                nonroutine stressful or strenuous physical activity;
            ``(2) the heart attack, stroke, or vascular rupture 
        commences--
                    ``(A) while the officer is engaged or participating 
                as described in paragraph (1);
                    ``(B) while the officer remains on that duty after 
                being engaged or participating as described in 
                paragraph (1); or
                    ``(C) not later than 24 hours after the officer is 
                engaged or participating as described in paragraph (1); 
                and
            ``(3) the heart attack, stroke, or vascular rupture 
        directly and proximately results in the death of the public 
        safety officer,
unless competent medical evidence establishes that the heart attack, 
stroke, or vascular rupture was unrelated to the engagement or 
participation or was directly and proximately caused by something other 
than the mere presence of cardiovascular-disease risk factors.''; and
                    (E) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(n) The public safety agency, organization, or unit responsible 
for maintaining on file an executed designation of beneficiary or 
executed life insurance policy for purposes of subsection (a)(4) shall 
maintain the confidentiality of the designation or policy in the same 
manner as the agency, organization, or unit maintains personnel or 
other similar records of the public safety officer.'';
            (3) in section 1202 (42 U.S.C. 3796a)--
                    (A) by striking ``death'', each place it appears 
                except the second place it appears, and inserting 
                ``fatal''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or catastrophic 
                injury'' the second place it appears and inserting ``, 
                disability, or injury'';
            (4) in section 1203 (42 U.S.C. 3796a-1)--
                    (A) in the section heading, by striking ``who have 
                died in the line of duty'' and inserting ``who have 
                sustained fatal or catastrophic injury in the line of 
                duty''; and
                    (B) by striking ``who have died in the line of 
                duty'' and inserting ``who have sustained fatal or 
                catastrophic injury in the line of duty'';
            (5) in section 1204 (42 U.S.C. 3796b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``consequences of 
                an injury that'' and inserting ``an injury, the direct 
                and proximate consequences of which'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding clause (i)--
                                    (I) by inserting ``or permanently 
                                and totally disabled'' after 
                                ``deceased''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``death'' and 
                                inserting ``fatal or catastrophic 
                                injury''; and
                            (ii) by redesignating clauses (i), (ii), 
                        and (iii) as subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), 
                        respectively;
                    (C) in paragraph (5)--
                            (i) by striking ``post-mortem'' each place 
                        it appears and inserting ``post-injury''; and
                            (ii) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) 
                        as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
                    (D) in paragraph (7), by striking ``public employee 
                member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew;'' and 
                inserting ``employee or volunteer member of a rescue 
                squad or ambulance crew (including a ground or air 
                ambulance service) that--
                    ``(A) is a public agency; or
                    ``(B) is (or is a part of) a nonprofit entity 
                serving the public that--
                            ``(i) is officially authorized or licensed 
                        to engage in rescue activity or to provide 
                        emergency medical services; and
                            ``(ii) engages in rescue activities or 
                        provides emergency medical services as part of 
                        an official emergency response system;''; and
                    (E) in paragraph (9)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``as a 
                        chaplain, or as a member of a rescue squad or 
                        ambulance crew;'' and inserting ``or as a 
                        chaplain;'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking 
                        ``or'' after the semicolon;
                            (iii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking 
                        the period and inserting ``; or''; and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew 
                who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the 
                applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue 
                activity or in the provision of emergency medical 
                services.''.
            (6) in section 1205 (42 U.S.C. 3796c), by adding at the end 
        the following:
    ``(d) Unless expressly provided otherwise, any reference in this 
part to any provision of law not in this part shall be understood to 
constitute a general reference under the doctrine of incorporation by 
reference, and thus to include any subsequent amendments to the 
provision.'';
            (7) in each of subsections (a) and (b) of section 1212 (42 
        U.S.C. 3796d-1), sections 1213 and 1214 (42 U.S.C. 3796d-2 and 
        3796d-3), and subsections (b) and (c) of section 1216 (42 
        U.S.C. 3796d-5), by striking ``dependent'' each place it 
        appears and inserting ``person'';
            (8) in section 1212 (42 U.S.C. 3796d-1)--
                    (A) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1), in the matter 
                        preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``Subject'' and all that follows through ``, 
                        the'' and inserting ``The''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (3), by striking 
                        ``reduced by'' and all that follows through 
                        ``(B) the amount'' and inserting ``reduced by 
                        the amount'';
                    (B) in subsection (c)--
                            (i) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                        ``Dependent''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``dependent'';
            (9) in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 1213(b) (42 U.S.C. 
        3796d-2(b)), by striking ``dependent's'' each place it appears 
        and inserting ``person's'';
            (10) in section 1216 (42 U.S.C. 3796d-5)--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``each 
                dependent'' each place it appears and inserting ``a 
                spouse or child''; and
                    (B) by striking ``dependents'' each place it 
                appears and inserting ``a person''; and
            (11) in section 1217(3)(A) (42 U.S.C. 3796d-6(3)(A)), by 
        striking ``described in'' and all that follows and inserting 
        ``an institution of higher education, as defined in section 102 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); and''.
    (b) Amendment Related to Expedited Payment for Public Safety 
Officers Involved in the Prevention, Investigation, Rescue, or Recovery 
Efforts Related to a Terrorist Attack.--Section 611(a) of the Uniting 
and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to 
Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 (42 
U.S.C. 3796c-1(a)) is amended by inserting ``or an entity described in 
section 1204(7)(B) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b(7)(B))'' after ``employed by such agency''.
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 402(l)(4)(C) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
            (1) by striking ``section 1204(9)(A)'' and inserting 
        ``section 1204(10)(A)''; and
            (2) by striking ``42 U.S.C. 3796b(9)(A)'' and inserting 
        ``42 U.S.C. 3796b(10)(A)''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; DETERMINATIONS; APPEALS.

    The matter under the heading ``public safety officers benefits'' 
under the heading ``Office of Justice Programs'' under title II of 
division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 
110-161; 121 Stat. 1912; 42 U.S.C. 3796c-2) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``decisions'' and inserting 
        ``determinations'';
            (2) by striking ``(including those, and any related 
        matters, pending)''; and
            (3) by striking the period at the end and inserting the 
        following: ``:  Provided further, That, on and after the date 
        of enactment of the Public Safety Officers' Benefits 
        Improvements Act of 2012, as to each such statute--
            ``(1) the provisions of section 1001(a)(4) of such title I 
        (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(4)) shall apply;
            ``(2) payment (other than payment made pursuant to section 
        611 of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing 
        Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism 
        (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 3796c-1)) shall be 
        made only upon a determination by the Bureau that the facts 
        legally warrant the payment;
            ``(3) any reference to section 1202 of such title I shall 
        be deemed to be a reference to paragraphs (2) and (3) of such 
        section 1202; and
            ``(4) a certification submitted under any such statute 
        (other than a certification submitted pursuant to section 611 
        of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing 
        Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism 
        (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 3796c-1)) may be 
        accepted by the Bureau as prima facie evidence of the facts 
        asserted in the certification:
  Provided further, That, on and after the date of enactment of the 
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvements Act of 2012, no appeal 
shall bring any final determination of the Bureau before any court for 
review unless notice of appeal is filed (within the time specified 
herein and in the manner prescribed for appeal to United States courts 
of appeals from United States district courts) not later than 90 days 
after the date on which the Bureau serves notice of the final 
determination:  Provided further,  That any regulations promulgated by 
the Bureau under such part (or any such statute) before, on, or after 
the date of enactment of the Public Safety Officers' Benefits 
Improvements Act of 2012 shall apply to any matter pending on, or filed 
or accruing after, the effective date specified in the regulations.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the 
amendments made by this Act shall--
            (1) take effect on the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (2) apply to any matter pending, before the Bureau of 
        Justice Assistance or otherwise, on the date of enactment of 
        this Act, or filed or accruing after that date.
    (b) Exceptions.--
            (1) Rescue squads and ambulance crews.--For a member of a 
        rescue squad or ambulance crew (as defined in section 1204(7) 
        of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
        1968, as amended by this Act), the amendments made by this Act 
        shall apply to injuries sustained on or after June 1, 2009.
            (2) Heart attacks, strokes, and vascular ruptures.--Section 
        1201(k) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
        Streets Act of 1968, as amended by this Act, shall apply to 
        heart attacks, strokes, and vascular ruptures sustained on or 
        after December 15, 2003.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 27, 2012.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.