Date: 2012-06-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 4018. the "Public Safety Officers Benefits Improvements Act of 2012." which would modify the Public Safety Officers Benefits Act (PSOBA) of 1976 which currently provides benefits payments to certain survivors of public safety officers who are killed or permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty. Under current law. the families of public safety officers who have died as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty are eligible for a onetime payment of about $320.000. Public safety officers who have been permanently disabled are eligible for the same payment. but this payment is subject to the availability of appropriated funds. As a Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee. Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure. I am well aware that there are currently gaps in the laws as it pertains to those safety officers who put their lives on the line but may not have the high profiles of police officers or firefighters. Nevertheless. for those unsung heroes and faithful men and women who continually place their own well being in danger for the sake of saving the lives of strangers. this bill is a mere step in the right direction by expanding the types of benefits available to their families when serious injuries or deaths occur. H.R. 4018 narrows the eligibility of members of rescue squads or ambulance crews for benefits under the PSOB program. as a result. some individuals would no longer receive benefits that they could receive under current laws. The bill prevents individuals from receiving certain benefits under the program if they receive payments from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Likewise. this legislation would make many technical and administrative changes that aim to expedite the processing of claims for benefits. Over the years the Public Safety Officers Benefits Act has been amended to expand the scope of the definitions "member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew" and "public safety officer." This definition now includes an officially recognized or designated employee or volunteer member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew that is a public agency of 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 is officially designated as a prehospital emergency medical response agency. The Act provides death benefits in the form of a single financial payment to eligible survivors of public safety officers whose death is the direct and proximate result of a personal injury during the performance of duty. Additionally the Act provides for financial assistance to help pay higher education costs for the children and spouses of public safety officers for whom disability benefits have been paid. This bill is needed to efficiently support the families devastated by death or catastrophic injuries sustained while acting in the official capacity of a public safety officers job. It is my hope that by supporting this bill Congress can come together to better accommodate. acknowledge and assist the brave public safety officers who sustain injuries while serving members of their communities across this great country.