[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3607 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.3607

                     One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
            the third day of January, two thousand and twenty


                                 An Act


 
To extend public safety officer death benefits to public safety officers 
       whose death is caused by 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 ``Safeguarding America's First 
Responders Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS; PURPOSE.
    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
        (1) an infectious disease pandemic known as COVID-19 exists;
        (2) to date, there is much still unknown about COVID-19, but it 
    is known that COVID-19 and related complications may be fatal;
        (3) services provided by public safety officers are nonetheless 
    essential during this pandemic;
        (4) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and what is currently known 
    about how the disease is spread, public safety officers are 
    uncharacteristically at risk of contracting the disease; and
        (5) although the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program 
    currently covers deaths and permanent and total disabilities 
    resulting from infectious disease sustained by public safety 
    officers in carrying out their duties, the determination of claims 
    involving personal injuries believed to have resulted from COVID-19 
    or its complications may be uniquely challenging or delayed given 
    the lack of--
            (A) definitive testing and medical records at this time; 
        and
            (B) a definitive uniform body of medical information about 
        how the disease is spread or its effects.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish a carefully 
drawn framework wherein claims under the Public Safety Officers' 
Benefits program, arising under the unique circumstances described in 
subsection (a), can be processed expeditiously and under fair and clear 
standards.
SEC. 3. PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER BENEFITS.
    (a) Death Benefits.--As determined by the Bureau of Justice 
Assistance, unless competent medical evidence establishes that the 
death of a public safety officer (as defined in section 1204 of title I 
of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 
10284)) was directly and proximately caused by something other than 
COVID-19, COVID-19 (or complications therefrom) suffered by the public 
safety officer shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury within 
the meaning of section 1201(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(a)), sustained in the 
line of duty by the officer and directly and proximately resulting in 
death, if--
        (1) the officer engaged in a line of duty action or activity 
    between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021;
        (2) the officer was diagnosed with COVID-19 (or evidence 
    indicates that the officer had COVID-19) during the 45-day period 
    beginning on the last day of duty of the officer; and
        (3) evidence indicates that the officer had COVID-19 (or 
    complications therefrom) at the time of the officer's death.
    (b) Disability Benefits.--As determined by the Bureau of Justice 
Assistance, COVID-19 (or complications therefrom) suffered by a public 
safety officer shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury within 
the meaning of section 1201(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(b)), sustained in the 
line of duty by the officer, if--
        (1) the officer engaged in a line of duty action or activity 
    between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021; and
        (2) the officer was diagnosed with COVID-19 (or evidence 
    indicates that the officer had COVID-19) during the 45-day period 
    beginning on the last day of duty of the officer.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.