[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 147 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12611-S12612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1998

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate a 
message from the House of Representatives on the 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 PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the House of Representatives:

       Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 1525) entitled 
     ``An Act 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'', do pass with the following amendment:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Police, Fire, and Emergency 
     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)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``Federal law 
     enforcement'' and inserting ``public safety'';
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Financial'' and 
     inserting the following: ``Except as provided in paragraph 
     (3), financial''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) The financial assistance referred to in paragraph (2) 
     shall be reduced by the sum of--
       ``(A) the amount of educational assistance benefits from 
     other Federal, State, or local governmental sources to which 
     the eligible dependent would otherwise be entitled to 
     receive; and
       ``(B) the amount, if any, determined under section 
     1214(b).'';
       (4) in section 1214--
       (A) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``The''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(b) Sliding Scale.--Notwithstanding section 1213(b), the 
     Attorney General shall issue regulations regarding the use of 
     a sliding scale based on financial need to ensure that an 
     eligible dependent who is in financial need receives priority 
     in receiving funds under this subpart.'';
       (5) 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
       (6) in section 1217--
       (A) by striking paragraph (2); and
       (B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs 
     (2) and (3), respectively.
  Mr. CRAIG. I ask unanimous consent the Senate agree to the amendment 
of the House-passed bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I was proud to cosponsor the Federal Law 
Enforcement Dependents Assistance Act of 1996 and am again proud to 
cosponsor this bill, S. 1525, the Public Safety Officers Educational 
Benefits Assistance Act of 1998. I am delighted that the Senate is 
finally sending this important bill to the President's desk for his 
signature into law.
  Our legislation extends the educational benefits that we previously 
provided to the children of federal law enforcement to the families of 
State and local public safety officials who die or are disabled in the 
line of duty. Those families make the ultimate sacrifice for our public 
safety and deserve our support and assistance. I commend Senator 
Specter and Senator Biden and all the cosponsors for their work on 
these measures.
  The Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance Act of 1996, known 
as the Degan Act after U.S. Deputy Marshall Bill Degan, who died in the 
Ruby Ridge incident in 1992, provides Federal educational assistance to 
families of Federal law enforcement officers

[[Page S12612]]

killed in the line of duty. It is proper that we expand this 
educational assistance to the families of state and local law 
enforcement officers because most law enforcement needs are met at the 
state and local level. I would have preferred to send the President the 
original text of our legislation since it provided full assistance to 
these families, but the House of Representatives decided to impose a 
sliding scale means test to our bill.
  This past May, I called for Congress to pass this legislation during 
National Police Week and the annual memorial activities for law 
enforcement officers. I believe it would have been a fitting tribute to 
those who gave their lives in preserving our public safety for Congress 
to enact the Public Safety Officers Educational Benefits Assistance 
Act, S. 1525; the Care for Police Survivors Act of 1998, S. 1985; and 
the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Act of 1998, S. 1605. Fortunately, 
President Clinton signed the Bulletproof Vests Partnership Act and the 
Care for Police Survivors Act into law on June 16, 1998 and now he will 
have the opportunity to sign into law this third piece of legislation. 
Together these measures make a significant package of legislation to 
benefit the families of those who serve in law enforcement.
  The unfortunate reality of contemporary life is that we may still 
lose upwards of 100 law enforcement officers a year nationwide. I wish 
there were none and I will keep working to improve the assistance and 
support we provide our law enforcement officers. For those families 
that sacrifice a loved one in the line of duty I support the college 
education assistance that will be made possible by the Public Safety 
Officers Educational Benefits Assistance Act. I look forward to the 
President signing this important legislation into law.

                          ____________________