PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER MEDAL OF VALOR

ACT OF 2001

115 STAT. 20 PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001

Public Law 107–12

107th Congress

An Act

To authorize the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Public Safety Officer Medal

of Valor Act of 2001’’.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MEDAL.

After September 1, 2001, the President may award, and present

in the name of Congress, a Medal of Valor of appropriate design,

with ribbons and appurtenances, to a public safety officer who

is cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of

the Medal of Valor Review Board, for extraordinary valor above

and beyond the call of duty. The Public Safety Medal of Valor

shall be the highest national award for valor by a public safety

officer.

SEC. 3. MEDAL OF VALOR BOARD.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD.—There is established a Medal

of Valor Review Board (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the

‘‘Board’’), which shall be composed of 11 members appointed in

accordance with subsection (b) and shall conduct its business in

accordance with this Act.

(b) MEMBERSHIP.—

(1) MEMBERS.—The members of the Board shall be individuals with knowledge or expertise, whether by experience or

training, in the field of public safety, of which—

(A) two shall be appointed by the majority leader of

the Senate;

(B) two shall be appointed by the minority leader of

the Senate;

(C) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House

of Representatives;

(D) two shall be appointed by the minority leader of

the House of Representatives; and

(E) three shall be appointed by the President, including

one with experience in firefighting, one with experience

in law enforcement, and one with experience in emergency

services.

(2) TERM.—The term of a Board member shall be 4 years.

(3) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the membership of the

Board shall not affect the powers of the Board and shall be

filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

Congress.

President.

42 USC 15202.

42 USC 15201.

42 USC 15201

note.

Public Safety

Officer Medal of

Valor Act of

2001.

May 30, 2001

[H.R. 802]

PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001 115 STAT. 21

(4) OPERATION OF THE BOARD.—

(A) CHAIRMAN.—The Chairman of the Board shall be

elected by the members of the Board from among the

members of the Board.

(B) MEETINGS.—The Board shall conduct its first

meeting not later than 90 days after the appointment of

the last member appointed of the initial group of members

appointed to the Board. Thereafter, the Board shall meet

at the call of the Chairman of the Board. The Board shall

meet not less often than twice each year.

(C) VOTING AND RULES.—A majority of the members

shall constitute a quorum to conduct business, but the

Board may establish a lesser quorum for conducting

hearings scheduled by the Board. The Board may establish

by majority vote any other rules for the conduct of the

Board’s business, if such rules are not inconsistent with

this Act or other applicable law.

(c) DUTIES.—The Board shall select candidates as recipients

of the Medal of Valor from among those applications received by

the National Medal of Valor Office. Not more often than once

each year, the Board shall present to the Attorney General the

name or names of those it recommends as Medal of Valor recipients.

In a given year, the Board shall not be required to select any

recipients but may not select more than 5 recipients. The Attorney

General may in extraordinary cases increase the number of recipients in a given year. The Board shall set an annual timetable

for fulfilling its duties under this Act.

(d) HEARINGS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board may hold such hearings, sit

and act at such times and places, administer such oaths, take

such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Board considers advisable to carry out its duties.

(2) WITNESS EXPENSES.—Witnesses requested to appear

before the Board may be paid the same fees as are paid to

witnesses under section 1821 of title 28, United States Code.

The per diem and mileage allowances for witnesses shall be

paid from funds appropriated to the Board.

(e) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Board may

secure directly from any Federal department or agency such

information as the Board considers necessary to carry out its duties.

Upon the request of the Board, the head of such department or

agency may furnish such information to the Board.

(f) INFORMATION TO BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.—The Board shall

not disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing

law enforcement investigation or is otherwise required by law to

be kept confidential.

SEC. 4. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS.

(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—(1) Except as provided in

paragraph (2), each member of the Board shall be compensated

at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic

pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section

5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel

time) during which such member is engaged in the performance

of the duties of the Board.

42 USC 15203.

Deadline.

115 STAT. 22 PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001

(2) All members of the Board who serve as officers or employees

of the United States, a State, or a local government, shall serve

without compensation in addition to that received for those services.

(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Board shall be

allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence,

at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter

I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from

their homes or regular places of business in the performance of

service for the Board.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER.—The term ‘‘public safety

officer’’ means a person serving a public agency, with or without

compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or emergency services officer, as determined by the Attorney General.

For the purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘‘law enforcement

officer’’ includes a person who is a corrections or court officer

or a civil defense officer.

(2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several

States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General

such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL MEDAL OF VALOR OFFICE.

There is established within the Department of Justice a

National Medal of Valor Office. The Office shall provide staff support to the Board to establish criteria and procedures for the submission of recommendations of nominees for the Medal of Valor and

for the final design of the Medal of Valor.

SEC. 8. CONFORMING REPEAL.

Section 15 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act

of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2214) is amended—

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following

new subsection (a):

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established an honorary

award for the recognition of outstanding and distinguished service

by public safety officers to be known as the Director’s Award For

Distinguished Public Safety Service (‘Director’s Award’).’’;

(2) in subsection (b)—

(A) by striking paragraph (1); and

(B) by striking ‘‘(2)’’;

(3) by striking subsections (c) and (d) and redesignating

subsections (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (c), (d), and (e),

respectively; and

(4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated—

(A) by striking paragraph (1); and

(B) by striking ‘‘(2)’’.

SEC. 9. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.

The Board shall consult with the Institute of Heraldry within

the Department of Defense regarding the design and artistry of

42 USC 15207.

Establishment.

42 USC 15206.

42 USC 15205.

42 USC 15204.

PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001 115 STAT. 23

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 802 (S. 39):

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 107–15 (Comm. on the Judiciary).

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 147 (2001):

Mar. 22, considered and passed House.

May 14, considered and passed Senate.

Æ

the Medal of Valor. The Board may also consider suggestions

received by the Department of Justice regarding the design of

the medal, including those made by persons not employed by the

Department.

Approved May 30, 2001.