[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 62 (Friday, May 15, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S4931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1998

  Mr. ALLARD. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to 
the consideration of calendar 359, S. 1525.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1525) to provide financial assistance for higher 
     education to the dependents of Federal, State, and local 
     public safety officers who are killed or permanently and 
     totally disabled as the result of a traumatic injury 
     sustained in the line of duty.

  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be 
considered read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill 
appear at this point in the Record.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1525) was deemed read the third time, and passed, as 
follows:

                                S. 1525

       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 Officers 
     Educational Assistance Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION TO 
                   DEPENDENTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS KILLED OR 
                   PERMANENTLY AND TOTALLY DISABLED IN THE LINE OF 
                   DUTY.

       Part L of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
     1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in the heading for subpart 2, by striking ``Civilian 
     Federal Law Enforcement'' and inserting ``Public Safety'';
       (2) in section 1211(1), by striking ``civilian Federal law 
     enforcement'' and inserting ``public safety'';
       (3) in section 1212(a)(1)(A), by striking ``Federal law 
     enforcement'' and inserting ``public safety'';
       (4) in section 1216(a), by inserting ``and each dependent 
     of a public safety officer killed in the line of duty on or 
     after October 1, 1997,'' after ``1992,''; and
       (5) in section 1217--
       (A) by striking paragraph (2); and
       (B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (6) as paragraphs 
     (2) and (3), respectively.

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate has passed S. 
1525, the ``Public Safety Officers Educational Assistance Act of 
1998.''
  Last congress, the Senate passed the ``Federal Law Enforcement 
Dependents Assistance Act''--led by Senators Specter and Kohl and co-
sponsored by myself and nearly every member of the Judiciary Committee. 
This law provides for the education of the spouse and dependent 
children of federal law enforcement officers who die or are totally 
disabled in the line of duty.
  The purpose of the legislation was to remove a significant financial 
burden from the families of these deceased officers and to allow them 
to continue on the educational path they would have followed had their 
parent or spouse not been killed in the line of duty.
  Last fall, about 30 young men and women were able to go to college 
under this program. Unfortunately, this program is only available to 
the children of federal law enforcement officers.
  The Public Safety Officers Educational Assistance Act, which Senator 
Specter and I introduced last year, extends these same educational 
benefits to the dependents of all public safety officers--in other 
words, not just federal--but also state, county and local law 
enforcement officers, and fire and rescue personnel--who have given 
their lives in the line of duty.
  Under this bill, the Attorney General will administer a program which 
will provide up to $4,485 per child, per year to attend a 4-year 
college. This is the same amount of educational assistance the federal 
government provides to veterans.
  The Justice Department estimates the total cost for this year to be 
about $300,000. What is more, the Justice Department already has the 
funds to pay for this $300,000 within their current budget--so we will 
not need any additional appropriations.
  It is critical that we remember the families of those officers who 
have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our streets and homes safe. 
This bill is intended to allow the dependents of public safety officers 
to continue with their education as they would have been able to do had 
their parent not been killed or totally disabled in the line of duty.

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