[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4361-S4362]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 WOUNDED OFFICERS RECOVERY ACT OF 2017

  Mr. FLAKE. Madam President, I come to the floor to pass the Wounded 
Officers Recovery Act. This legislation comes after last month's 
terrible shooting at the Republican practice for the annual 
Congressional Baseball Game.
  As many of you already know, U.S. Capitol Police DPD Special Agents 
Crystal Griner and David Bailey were both wounded in the line of duty 
as they successfully fought off and subdued the gunman. I witnessed 
firsthand the unbelievable bravery and heroism of the Capitol Police on 
that morning. It is not at all an exaggeration to say that, if not for 
their actions, I probably would not be here today.
  I and my colleagues certainly have a special place in our hearts for 
them and an appreciation for what they did on that fateful morning. It 
is a privilege to be able to help them out now. They had our backs, and 
now we need to have theirs.
  This bill amends the policies of the United States Capitol Police 
Memorial Fund to expand eligibility to include any U.S. Capitol Police 
employee who has been injured in the line of duty. This will enable 
Special Agents Griner and Bailey to access funds raised for victims of 
the congressional baseball practice shooting.
  Previously, the fund only allowed donated funds to be given to the 
families of officers killed in the line of duty. I am hopeful all of my 
colleagues will agree that this issue should rise above any partisan 
wrangling.
  Special Agents Crystal Griner and David Bailey have our gratitude, 
and we ought to be able to help them. I am grateful for their 
sacrifice. I hope we can speak with one voice in support of the brave 
men and women of the Capitol Police and pass this bill without delay.
  I wish to thank the cosponsors here in the Senate, including Senator 
Paul, Senator Donnelly, Senator Murphy, and all of those who played in 
the congressional baseball game, also, in the House, the managers of 
the Republican and the Democratic teams respectively, Joe Martin and 
Mike Doyle.
  The congressional baseball game is one of the best institutions in 
Congress, one of the most bipartisan institutions. We are able to raise 
a lot of money for needy causes as well as the Capitol Police. We want 
to make sure a lot of the money that was raised this year--a portion of 
that money--can go to these deserving individuals who helped us out in 
a very real way and saved our lives.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules 
be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3298 and the Senate 
proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 3298) to authorize the Capitol Police Board to 
     make payments from the United States Capitol Police Memorial 
     Fund to employees of the United States Capitol Police who 
     have sustained serious line-of-duty injuries, and for other 
     purposes.


[[Page S4362]]


  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. FLAKE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Flake 
amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as 
amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the 
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 409) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to, 
as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Wounded Officers Recovery 
     Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. PAYMENTS FROM UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE MEMORIAL 
                   FUND FOR EMPLOYEES KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY 
                   OR SUSTAINING SERIOUS LINE-OF-DUTY INJURIES.

       (a) Authorizing Payments From Fund.--Section 2 of Public 
     Law 105-223 (2 U.S.C. 1952) is amended--
       (1) in the section heading, by inserting ``AND CERTAIN 
     OTHER UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE EMPLOYEES'' before the 
     period at the end;
       (2) by striking ``Subject to the regulations'' and 
     inserting ``(a) In General.--Except to the extent used or 
     reserved for use under subsection (b) and subject to the 
     regulations''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(b) Payments for Employees Killed in the Line of Duty or 
     Sustaining Serious Line-of-duty Injuries.--In addition to the 
     amounts paid under subsection (a), and in accordance with the 
     regulations issued under section 4(b), amounts in the Fund 
     may be paid to--
       ``(1) families of employees of the United States Capitol 
     Police who were killed in the line of duty; or
       ``(2) employees of the United States Capitol Police who 
     have sustained serious line-of-duty injuries.''.
       (b) Regulations of Capitol Police Board.--Section 4 of 
     Public Law 105-223 (2 U.S.C. 1954) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``The Capitol Police Board'' and inserting 
     ``(a) In General.--The Capitol Police Board''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(b) Regulations Governing Payments for Employees Killed 
     in the Line of Duty or Sustaining Serious Line-of-duty 
     Injuries.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Capitol Police 
     Board shall issue specific regulations governing the use of 
     the Fund for making payments to families of employees of the 
     United States Capitol Police who were killed in the line of 
     duty and employees of the United States Capitol Police who 
     have sustained serious line-of-duty injuries (as authorized 
     under section 2(b)), including regulations--
       ``(1) establishing the conditions under which the family of 
     an employee or an employee is eligible to receive such a 
     payment;
       ``(2) providing for the amount, timing, and manner of such 
     payments; and
       ``(3) ensuring that any such payment is in addition to, and 
     does not otherwise affect, any other form of compensation 
     payable to the family of an employee or the employee, 
     including benefits for workers' compensation under chapter 81 
     of title 5, United States Code.''.
       (c) Treatment of Amounts Received in Response to Incident 
     of June 14, 2017.--The second sentence of section 1 of Public 
     Law 105-223 (2 U.S.C. 1951) is amended by striking ``deposit 
     into the Fund'' and inserting ``deposit into the Fund, 
     including amounts received in response to the shooting 
     incident at the practice for the Congressional Baseball Game 
     for Charity on June 14, 2017,''.
  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill was read the third time.
  The bill (H.R. 3298), as amended, was passed.

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