[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 178 (Monday, December 16, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S8839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HOMETOWN HEROES SURVIVORS BENEFITS ACT

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today I am proud to recognize the 10th 
anniversary of the enactment of the ``Hometown Heroes Survivors 
Benefits Act'' which occurred this past Saturday. Back in 2003, I 
worked with a bipartisan group of Senators to pass this legislation to 
improve the Department of Justice's Public Safety Officers' Benefits--
PSOB--program by allowing families of public safety officers who suffer 
fatal heart attacks or strokes to qualify for Federal survivor 
benefits. I am proud to mark the 10-year anniversary of this important 
program.
  I first want to thank each of our Nation's brave law enforcement 
officers, firefighters, and emergency medical responders for the work 
they do for the American public each and every day. This legislation, 
like the Public Safety Officers Benefits program, is for them. It is 
Congress' recognition of the importance of their service to their 
communities and to the Nation.
  Our public safety officers are often the first to respond to a crime 
scene or emergency situation. They are often the first line of defense 
in a natural disaster or national security emergency. They are among 
our most courageous and dedicated public servants. I applaud their 
efforts in responding to more than 240 million emergency calls each 
year--whether those calls involve a fire, crime, medical emergency, 
natural disaster, or act of terrorism--without hesitation. They act 
with a steadfast commitment to the safety and protection of their 
fellow citizens and, sadly, sometimes lose their own lives in the 
protection of their communities.
  Each year, hundreds of public safety officers nationwide lose their 
lives and thousands more are injured while performing their duties. And 
while these benefits can never be a substitute for the loss of a loved 
one, the families of all these fallen heroes deserve this financial 
support from the Federal government.
  The PSOB program was established in 1976 to authorize a one-time 
financial payment to the eligible survivors of Federal, State, and 
local public safety officers who die in the line of duty. While there 
had been various efforts over the years to improve the program leading 
up to 2003, the benefits did not extend to officers suffering a fatal 
heart attack or stroke from a work-related, non-traumatic injury, such 
as stress or strain from the job.
  The Hometown Heroes Act of 2003 expanded PSOB coverage to ensure that 
the survivors of public safety officers who die of heart attacks or 
strokes in the line of duty or within 24 hours of a triggering effect 
while on duty--regardless of whether a traumatic injury is present at 
the time of the heart attack or stroke--are eligible to receive 
financial benefits. Ensuring public safety is dangerous, grueling, and 
stressful work. A first responder's chances of suffering a heart attack 
or stroke exponentially increases when he or she puts on heavy 
equipment and rushes into a burning building or gets into a shootout 
with dangerous criminals. Since enactment of the Hometown Heroes law, 
the Department of Justice has approved 373 claims. This is 373 families 
who have received this important support in the face of a tragedy. The 
families of these brave public servants deserve coverage under the PSOB 
program and I am grateful that Congress was able to pass legislation to 
make sure the law covered these situations.
  Over the past few years I have increasingly sought ways to improve 
the PSOB program. Last year, as part of the National Defense 
Authorization Act, I was successful in adding to that legislation the 
Dale Long Act. The inclusion of this amendment fixed coverage gaps in 
the Federal PSOB program by extending benefits to private, non-
emergency medical services--EMS--volunteers and personnel. In Vermont 
alone, this change covers an estimated 1,200 EMS personnel for the 
program. This legislation also streamlined what had been an unwieldy 
and unnecessarily long appeals process for claimants, clarified the 
list of eligible survivor recipients, and eliminated an artificial 
distinction under current law to include vascular ruptures as a type of 
injury that would make a public safety officer's survivors qualified 
for Hometown Heroes benefits. Since 2012, as a result of the Dale Long 
Act's enactment, an additional 23 Hometown Heroes cases have been 
approved.
  Finally, I want to recognize the outstanding work of Director Denise 
O'Donnell and her staff at the Department of Justice's Bureau of 
Justice Assistance. Under Director O'Donnell's leadership, her 
dedicated staff has put into place significant reforms and improvements 
to the program that have increased efficiency, transparency, and 
communication with the survivors of fallen first responders with 
pending claims. They are putting to good use the new statutory 
provisions that were enacted as part of the Dale Long Act provisions 
that make the program more cost effective and easier for administrators 
and claimants to find resolution. As a former prosecutor, Director 
O'Donnell understands the importance of this program to first 
responders across the country and she has worked very hard to listen to 
their concerns and act on them. I know the staff members within the 
PSOB program office recognize the solemnity and importance of the work 
they do and recognize that each case represents a family that has 
endured a great sacrifice. They carry out their duties with the respect 
these cases deserve and I thank them as they continue to carry out the 
promise Congress made to America's first responders over 30 years ago.
  Public safety officers are part of the bedrock of our Nation. We must 
continue to recognize their hard work and selfless dedication to 
communities across this country and ensure that they and their families 
have the protections they need and most certainly deserve.

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