[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5442-S5443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate now 
proceed to a period of morning business with Senators allowed to speak 
therein for a period not to exceed 5 minutes each.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am delighted that the House of 
Representatives yesterday passed unanimously

[[Page S5443]]

the Mychal Judge Police and Fire Chaplains Public Safety Officers' 
Benefit Act of 2002, S. 2431.
  Last month, the Senate passed unanimously my legislation to provide 
death benefits to the families of 10 fallen heroes of September 11. I 
again thank Senators Campbell, Schumer, Clinton, Biden and Feingold for 
cosponsoring our bipartisan measure. I commend Representatives Manzullo 
and Nadler for their bipartisan leadership on the House companion bill, 
H.R. 3297, and I thank House Judiciary Committee Chairman Sensenbrenner 
and Ranking Member Conyers for their strong support as well.
  Named for Chaplain Mychal Judge, who was killed while responding with 
the New York City Fire Department to the September 11 terrorist attacks 
on the World Trade Center, this legislation recognizes the invaluable 
service of police and fire chaplains in crisis situations by allowing 
for their eligibility in the Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program. 
Father Judge, who was gay, was survived by his two sisters who, under 
current law, are ineligible to receive payments through the PSOB 
Program. This is simply wrong and must be remedied.
  Indeed, Father Judge is among 10 public safety officers who were 
killed on September 11, but who are ineligible for Federal death 
benefits because they died without a surviving spouse, child, or 
parent. This bill would retroactively correct this injustice by 
expanding the list of those who may receive public safety officer 
benefits to the beneficiaries named on the most recently executed life 
insurance policy of the deceased officer. This change would go into 
effect on September 11 of last year to make sure the families of Father 
Judge and the nine other fallen heroes receive their public safety 
officer benefits.
  In addition, this bill would retroactively restructure the Public 
Safety Officers' Benefit Program to specifically include chaplains as 
members of the law enforcement and fire units they serve, and would 
make these chaplains eligible for the one-time $250,000 benefit 
available to public safety officers who have been permanently disabled 
as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty, or to the 
survivors of officers who have died.
  Finally, I applaud the National Association of Police Organization, 
the Fraternal Order of Police, and the American Federation of State, 
County and Municipal Employees for their strong support for this bill 
to honor public safety officers and their families.
  This legislation provides much-needed relief for the survivors of the 
brave public servants who selflessly risk and sacrifice their own lives 
everyday so that others might live. I look forward to President Bush 
signing the Mychal Judge Police and Fire Chaplains Public Safety 
Officers' Benefit Act of 2002 into law.

                          ____________________