I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7031 

To extend public safety officer death benefits to public safety officers whose 

death is caused by COVID–19, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 27, 2020 

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio (for himself, Ms. FUDGE, and Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 

Judiciary 

A BILL 

To extend public safety officer death benefits to public safety 

officers whose death is caused by COVID–19, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safeguarding Amer5 ica’s First Responders Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS; PURPOSE. 

7 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con8 gress that— 


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1 (1) an infectious disease pandemic known as 

2 COVID–19 exists; 

3 (2) to date, there is much still unknown about 

4 COVID–19, but it is known that COVID–19 and re5 lated complications may be fatal; 

6 (3) services provided by public safety officers 

7 are nonetheless essential during this pandemic; 

8 (4) due to the COVID–19 pandemic and what 

9 is currently known about how the disease is spread, 

10 public safety officers are uncharacteristically at risk 

11 of contracting the disease; and 

12 (5) although the Public Safety Officers’ Bene13 fits program currently covers deaths and permanent 

14 and total disabilities resulting from infectious dis15 ease sustained by public safety officers in carrying 

16 out their duties, the determination of claims involv17 ing personal injuries believed to have resulted from 

18 COVID–19 or its complications may be uniquely 

19 challenging or delayed given the lack of— 

20 (A) definitive testing and medical records 

21 at this time; and 

22 (B) a definitive uniform body of medical 

23 information about how the disease is spread or 

24 its effects. 


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1 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab2 lish a carefully drawn framework wherein claims under the 

3 Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program, arising under 

4 the unique circumstances described in subsection (a), can 

5 be processed expeditiously and under fair and clear stand6 ards. 

7 SEC. 3. PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER BENEFITS. 

8 (a) DEATH BENEFITS.—As determined by the Bu9 reau of Justice Assistance, unless competent medical evi10 dence establishes that the death of a public safety officer 

11 (as defined in section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime 

12 Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284)) 

13 was directly and proximately caused by something other 

14 than COVID–19, COVID–19 (or complications therefrom) 

15 suffered by the public safety officer shall be presumed to 

16 constitute a personal injury within the meaning of section 

17 1201(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

18 Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(a)), sustained in 

19 the line of duty by the officer and directly and proximately 

20 resulting in death, if— 

21 (1) the officer engaged in a line of duty action 

22 or activity between January 1, 2020, and December 

23 31, 2021; 

24 (2) the officer was diagnosed with COVID–19 

25 (or evidence indicates that the officer had COVID– 


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1 19) during the 45-day period beginning on the last 

2 day of duty of the officer; and 

3 (3) evidence indicates that the officer had 

4 COVID–19 (or complications therefrom) at the time 

5 of the officer’s death. 

6 (b) DISABILITY BENEFITS.—As determined by the 

7 Bureau of Justice Assistance, COVID–19 (or complica8 tions therefrom) suffered by a public safety officer shall 

9 be presumed to constitute a personal injury within the 

10 meaning of section 1201(b) of title I of the Omnibus 

11 Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 

12 10281(b)), sustained in the line of duty by the officer, if— 

13 (1) the officer engaged in a line of duty action 

14 or activity between January 1, 2020, and December 

15 31, 2021; and 

16 (2) the officer was diagnosed with COVID–19 

17 (or evidence indicates that the officer had COVID– 

18 19) during the 45-day period beginning on the last 

19 day of duty of the officer. 

Æ 


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