[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SPECIAL AGENT SAMUEL HICKS FAMILIES OF FALLEN HEROES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 25, 2010

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 
2711, the Special Agent Samuel Hicks Families of Fallen Heroes Act. I 
also want to thank my colleague, Mr. Rogers, for introducing this 
important legislation.
  This legislation aims to authorize the FBI to pay the relocation and 
moving expenses for families of FBI agents who are killed in the line 
of duty. At present, the law only provides for the FBI to cover these 
expenses if an FBI agent or an employee is killed overseas. However, 
payment for the relocation of a decedent's immediate family if the 
death occurs in the U.S. falls outside the ambit of the current 
statutory provision.
  Special Agent Hicks, the man after whom this legislation is named, 
was a former police officer with the Baltimore police department. Upon 
receiving an assignment as an FBI agent, Hicks and his family relocated 
to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Special Agent Hicks regrettably lost his 
life when he was fatally shot on November 19, 2008 at the age of 33 
while executing a Federal search warrant associated with a drug 
distribution ring. He is survived by his wife and their 2-year-old son. 
The Bureau was unable to assist the Hicks family in moving back to 
Baltimore because of restrictive construction of the statute providing 
only for the financial assistance to families of agents perishing 
overseas.
  This instance of a family of a federal law enforcement officer being 
denied the financial assistance they required to relocate is indicative 
of the error in the construction of the initial remedial statute. 
Allowing for domestic family members of fallen federal agents or 
employees to receive the same assistance that foreign families receive 
will widen the scope of the statute and provide much needed relief to 
those persons touched by such tragedy.
  FBI employees take on tremendous responsibilities to ensure the 
safety and the security of these United States. As such, agents and 
their families are moved throughout the country, dispersed to its very 
corners, in pursuit of this nation's protection. In the event of an 
untimely and tragic death, we would like to bring help to the fallen 
hero's family within the perimeter of this new legislation--regardless 
of whether the tragedy strikes abroad or here at home.
  Unfortunately, in the recent past there have been instances in which 
such authority was needed to support the families of agents or 
employees who gave their lives for this country, and received no 
assistance at all. This legislation seeks to remedy this wrong, and 
hopefully with its passage the immediate family of FBI agents or 
employees will receive the help they deserve.
  The foregoing reasons outline the importance of our attention this 
legislation seeks to afford those families of federal agents or 
employees that the initial statutes did not cover. We must provide 
financial assistance to the families of domestic fallen heroes.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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