[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 91 (Thursday, May 14, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SAFEGUARDING AMERICA'S FIRST RESPONDERS ACT OF 2020

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged and that the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of S. 3607.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3607) to extend public safety officer death 
     benefits to public safety officers whose death is caused by 
     COVID-19, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Grassley-
Booker amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, and that the 
bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1587) was agreed to, as follows

                     (Purpose: To improve the bill)

       In section 2(a)(5), strike ``deaths resulting from 
     infectious disease sustained by public safety officers in 
     carrying out their duties, the determination of claims may'' 
     and insert ``deaths and permanent and total disabilities 
     resulting from infectious disease sustained by public safety 
     officers in carrying out their duties, the determination of 
     claims involving personal injuries believed to have resulted 
     from COVID-19 or its complications may''.
       In section 3, strike ``As determined'' and insert ``(a) 
     Death Benefits.--As determined''.
       At the end of section 3, add the following:
       (b) Disability Benefits.--As determined by the Bureau of 
     Justice Assistance, COVID-19 (or complications therefrom) 
     suffered by a public safety officer shall be presumed to 
     constitute a personal injury within the meaning of section 
     1201(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(b)), sustained in the 
     line of duty by the officer, if--
       (1) the officer engaged in a line of duty action or 
     activity between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021; and
       (2) the officer was diagnosed with COVID-19 (or evidence 
     indicates that the officer had COVID-19) during the 45-day 
     period beginning on the last day of duty of the officer.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bill, 
as amended.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the 
question is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (S. 3607), as amended, was passed, as follows

                                S. 3607

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Safeguarding America's First 
     Responders Act of 2020''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS; PURPOSE.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) an infectious disease pandemic known as COVID-19 
     exists;
       (2) to date, there is much still unknown about COVID-19, 
     but it is known that COVID-19 and related complications may 
     be fatal;
       (3) services provided by public safety officers are 
     nonetheless essential during this pandemic;
       (4) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and what is currently 
     known about how the disease is spread, public safety officers 
     are uncharacteristically at risk of contracting the disease; 
     and
       (5) although the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program 
     currently covers deaths and permanent and total disabilities 
     resulting from infectious disease sustained by public safety 
     officers in carrying out their duties, the determination of 
     claims involving personal injuries believed to have resulted 
     from COVID-19 or its complications may be uniquely 
     challenging or delayed given the lack of--
       (A) definitive testing and medical records at this time; 
     and
       (B) a definitive uniform body of medical information about 
     how the disease is spread or its effects.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish a 
     carefully drawn framework wherein claims under the Public 
     Safety Officers' Benefits program, arising under the unique 
     circumstances described in subsection (a), can be processed 
     expeditiously and under fair and clear standards.

     SEC. 3. PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER BENEFITS.

       (a) Death Benefits.--As determined by the Bureau of Justice 
     Assistance, unless competent medical evidence establishes 
     that the death of a public safety officer (as defined in 
     section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284)) was directly and 
     proximately caused by something other than COVID-19, COVID-19 
     (or complications therefrom) suffered by the public safety 
     officer shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury 
     within the meaning of section 1201(a) of title I of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 
     10281(a)), sustained in the line of duty by the officer and 
     directly and proximately resulting in death, if--
       (1) the officer engaged in a line of duty action or 
     activity between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021;
       (2) the officer was diagnosed with COVID-19 (or evidence 
     indicates that the officer had COVID-19) during the 45-day 
     period beginning on the last day of duty of the officer; and
       (3) evidence indicates that the officer had COVID-19 (or 
     complications therefrom) at the time of the officer's death.
       (b) Disability Benefits.--As determined by the Bureau of 
     Justice Assistance, COVID-19 (or complications therefrom) 
     suffered by a public safety officer shall be presumed to 
     constitute a personal injury within the meaning of section 
     1201(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(b)), sustained in the 
     line of duty by the officer, if--
       (1) the officer engaged in a line of duty action or 
     activity between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021; and
       (2) the officer was diagnosed with COVID-19 (or evidence 
     indicates that the officer had COVID-19) during the 45-day 
     period beginning on the last day of duty of the officer.

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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