[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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