Title: Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act of 2020
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act of 2020
This bill creates a presumption that certain public safety officers who contract COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and were on duty during the 45-day period prior to the diagnosis are eligible for certain benefits payable when public safety officers are injured or killed in the line of duty.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6509 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6509

  To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
provide public safety officer death and disability benefits for certain 
 public safety officers who contract COVID-19, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2020

   Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mr. Rose of New York, and Mr. Pascrell) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
provide public safety officer death and disability benefits for certain 
 public safety officers who contract COVID-19, 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 Pandemic 
Response Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. DEATH AND DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS 
              IMPACTED BY COVID-19.

    Section 1201 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection:
    ``(o) For purposes of this part:
            ``(1) COVID-19 shall be presumed to constitute a personal 
        injury within the meaning of subsection (a), sustained in the 
        line of duty by a public safety officer and directly and 
        proximately resulting in death, unless such officer was not on 
        duty during the 45-day period prior to being diagnosed with 
        COVID-19.
            ``(2) The Attorney General shall accept claims, including 
        supplemental claims, under this section from an individual 
        who--
                    ``(A) was serving as a public safety officer and 
                was injured or disabled in the line of duty as a result 
                of the terrorist attacks on the United States that 
                occurred on September 11, 2001, or in the aftermath of 
                such attacks developed a condition described in section 
                3312(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
                300mm-22(a)); and
                    ``(B) was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the period 
                described in paragraph (3), which, in combination with 
                the injury or disability described in subparagraph (A), 
                permanently and totally disabled or directly and 
                proximately resulted in the death of the individual.
        In assessing a claim under this paragraph, the presumption of 
        causation described in paragraph (1) shall apply.
            ``(3) The presumption described in paragraph (1) shall 
        apply with respect to a diagnosis of COVID-19 beginning on 
        January 20, 2020, and ending on the date that is one year after 
        the emergency period (as such term is defined in section 
        1135(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(g))) 
        based on the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.
    ``(p) In determining whether the personal injury resulting from 
COVID-19 was a catastrophic injury, the Attorney General's inquiry 
shall be limited to whether the individual is permanently prevented 
from performing any gainful work as a public safety officer.''.
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