[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6281 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6281

   To increase Federal Pell Grants for the children of fallen police 
       officers, firefighters, and other public safety officers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 2012

Mr. Fitzpatrick (for himself, Mr. Peters, Mr. Gerlach, Mr. Keating, Mr. 
 Rangel, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Grimm, Mr. Platts, Mr. Nugent, Ms. 
 Schwartz, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Meehan) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To increase Federal Pell Grants for the children of fallen police 
       officers, firefighters, and other public safety officers.

    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 ``Children of Fallen Heroes 
Scholarship Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) 2011 was a deadly year for law enforcement officers, 
        with 163 men and women killed in the line of duty, which is a 
        15 percent increase from the number of law enforcement officers 
        killed in the line of duty in 2010. In 2011, 80 firefighters 
        lost their lives and 19 paramedics suffered fatalities in the 
        line of duty.
            (2) Congress recognizes the sacrifice of the families of 
        fallen public safety officers.
            (3) The financial loss for a family with children could be 
        detrimental for decades.
            (4) Families who have given the ultimate sacrifice deserve 
        the support of the American people as their children pursue 
        higher education.

SEC. 3. CALCULATION OF FEDERAL PELL GRANT ELIGIBILITY.

    Section 401(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070a(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4)(A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) or any other 
        provision of this section, the expected family contribution of 
        each student described in subparagraph (B) shall be deemed to 
        be zero for the period during which each such student is 
        eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant under subsection (c).
            ``(B) Subparagraph (A) shall apply to any student at an 
        institution of higher education--
                    ``(i) whose parent or guardian--
                            ``(I) was actively serving as a police 
                        officer, firefighter, or other public safety 
                        officer; and
                            ``(II) died as a result of performing a 
                        public safety service; and
                    ``(ii) who was 18 years or less, or was enrolled as 
                a full-time or part-time student at an institution of 
                higher education, as of the time of the parent or 
                guardian's death.
            ``(C) For purposes of this paragraph--
                    ``(i) the term `police officer, firefighter, or 
                other public safety officer' means an individual who--
                            ``(I) is a law enforcement officer or 
                        firefighter in a police department or fire 
                        department which is organized and operated by a 
                        State or political subdivision to provide 
                        police protection, firefighting services, or 
                        emergency medical services for any area within 
                        the jurisdiction of such State or political 
                        subdivision;
                            ``(II) is an emergency medical services 
                        provider who provides out-of-hospital emergency 
                        medical care, including an emergency medical 
                        technician or paramedic; or
                            ``(III) is a member of a qualified 
                        volunteer emergency response organization who 
                        provides firefighting services or emergency 
                        medical services; and
                    ``(ii) the term `qualified volunteer emergency 
                response organization' means any volunteer organization 
                that--
                            ``(I) is organized and operated to provide 
                        firefighting or emergency medical services for 
                        persons in the State or political subdivision, 
                        as the case may be; and
                            ``(II) is required (by written agreement) 
                        by the State or political subdivision to 
                        furnish firefighting or emergency medical 
                        services in such State or political 
                        subdivision.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment made by section 3 of this Act shall apply with 
respect to Federal Pell Grants awarded for academic year 2013-2014, and 
each succeeding academic year.
                                 <all>