[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 447 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 447

  To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
    expand the definition of firefighter to include apprentices and 
            trainees, regardless of age or duty limitations.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2009

  Mr. Sestak 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 
    expand the definition of firefighter to include apprentices and 
            trainees, regardless of age or duty limitations.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Christopher Kangas 
Fallen Firefighter Fairness Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) approximately 50 percent of all firefighters start out 
        as junior firefighters;
            (2) Christopher Kangas was a 14-year-old full member of the 
        Brookhaven, Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire Department who 
        tragically died when he was hit by a car while he was 
        responding on his bicycle to a fire alarm; and
            (3) because of his age, however, he is not recognized under 
        the Public Safety Officer's Death Benefit Act nor was he 
        considered eligible to have his name added to the National 
        Fallen Firefighter's Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES IN DEFINITION OF 
              FIREFIGHTER.

    Section 1204(4) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b(4)) is amended by inserting ``, regardless of 
age, status as an apprentice or trainee, or duty restrictions imposed 
because of age or status as an apprentice or trainee,'' after ``fire 
department''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment made by this Act shall apply with respect to deaths 
and injuries which occur on or after May 4, 2002.
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