[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 29 (Monday, February 15, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE TEACHER VICTIMS' FAMILY ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2021

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 15, 2021

  Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Teacher 
Victims' Family Assistance Act of 2021. American teachers are 
overburdened. In too many schools across our nation, infrastructure 
needs repair, teachers are underpaid, and classrooms are overcrowded. 
In addition to all these problems, teachers are also forced to contend 
with a gun violence epidemic, which has led to more and more deaths on 
schoolgrounds each year. In the face of this horrific reality, numerous 
teachers have died, often in an effort to heroically defend the lives 
of their students.
  Surviving family members of these slain teachers are unquestionably 
burdened with immeasurable grief, but they are also left without the 
financial support their deceased spouse or parent provided them. While 
we must continue to tirelessly advocate for common sense gun laws, we 
must also ensure that those who lose family members in such senseless 
acts of violence are cared for through financial assistance that will 
help cover final expenses and support the care of surviving family 
members--just like we have in the past for public safety officers and 
for 9/11 first responders.
  The Teacher Victims' Family Assistance Act of 2021 creates a 
compensation fund under the U.S. Department of Education that provides 
assistance to the immediate families of teachers and other school staff 
who are killed in a violent act over the course of performing their 
duties. The compensation fund provides funeral assistance, a death 
benefit to the next of kin, a monthly living allowance for the 
surviving spouse and children, and five years of undergraduate 
education assistance for each child.
  It is my sincere hope that over time fewer and fewer families will be 
in need of assistance from this compensation fund after they experience 
the tragic loss of their spouse or parent. Until that time comes, we 
must do everything in our power to honor those dedicated, hardworking 
teachers who died in an act of violence by caring for their surviving 
loved ones.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the House to expeditiously pass this measure. 
Doing so will reaffirm America's gratitude for our nation's devoted 
educators, who work tirelessly to enrich the lives of our children.

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