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; MISCELLA-
NEOUS 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 pe-
riod 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 ‘‘fol-
lows:’’ and all that follows and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘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 individ-
uals, in shares per the designation, or, other-
wise, in equal shares) designated by the public 
safety officer to receive benefits under this sub-
section in the most recently executed designa-
tion 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 indi-
vidual (or individuals, in equal shares) des-
ignated 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 par-
ent (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 cata-
strophic’’ and inserting ‘‘direct and proxi-
mate result of a personal’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘pay,’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘the same’’ and inserting 
‘‘pay the same’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘in any year’’ and in-
serting ‘‘to the public safety officer (if liv-
ing on the date on which the determination 
is made)’’; 
(iv) by striking ‘‘in such year, ad-
justed’’ and inserting ‘‘with respect to the
date on which the catastrophic injury oc-
curred, 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 insert-
ing ‘‘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 bene-
ficiaries shall only receive benefits 
under such section 8191 that’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, 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 fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) payments under the September 11th Vic-
tim 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 offi-
cer shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury with-
in 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 non-
routine stressful or strenuous physical law en-
forcement, fire suppression, rescue, hazardous 
material response, emergency medical services, 
prison security, disaster relief, or other emer-
gency response activity; or 
‘‘(B) participates in a training exercise in-
volving nonroutine stressful or strenuous phys-
ical activity; 
‘‘(2) the heart attack, stroke, or vascular rup-
ture commences—
(A) by striking ‘‘death’’, each place it ap-
pears except the second place it appears, and 
inserting ‘‘fatal’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or cata-
strophic 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 ‘‘con-
sequences 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 
‘‘de-
ceased’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘death’’ and in-
serting ‘‘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-in-
jury’’; and 
(ii) by redesignating clauses (i) and 
(ii) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respec-
tively; 
(D) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘public 
employee member of a rescue squad or ambu-
lance crew;’’ and inserting ‘‘employee or volun-
teer member of a rescue squad or ambulance 
crew (including a ground or air ambulance serv-
ice) 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 sys-
tem;’’; 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 strik-
ing ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon; 
(iii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by strik-
ing the period and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(D) a member of a rescue squad or am-
bulance 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 add-
ing at the end the following:
‘‘(d) Unless expressly provided otherwise, any ref-
erence 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 in-
clude 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 in-
serting ‘‘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 ‘‘re-
duced 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 strik-
ing ‘‘DEPENDENT’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘dependent’’;