    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 117, 108th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    117 STAT. 2649

    Public Law 108-182
    108th Congress

    An Act

    To ensure that a public safety officer who suffers a fatal heart attack
    or stroke while on duty shall be presumed to have died in the line of
    duty for purposes of public safety officer survivor
    benefits. <>

    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 ``Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits
    Act of 2003''.
    SEC. 2. FATAL HEART ATTACK OR STROKE ON DUTY PRESUMED TO BE DEATH
    IN LINE OF DUTY FOR PURPOSES OF PUBLIC SAFETY
    OFFICER SURVIVOR BENEFITS.

    Section 1201 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of
    1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) For purposes of this section, if a public safety officer dies
    as the direct and proximate result of a heart attack or stroke, that
    officer shall be presumed to have died as the direct and proximate
    result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty, if--
    ``(1) that officer, while on duty--
    ``(A) engaged in a situation, and such engagement
    involved nonroutine stressful or strenuous physical law
    enforcement, fire suppression, rescue, hazardous
    material response, emergency medical services, prison
    security, disaster relief, or other emergency response
    activity; or
    ``(B) participated in a training exercise, and such
    participation involved nonroutine stressful or strenuous
    physical activity;
    ``(2) that officer died as a result of a heart attack or
    stroke suffered--
    ``(A) while engaging or participating as described
    under paragraph (1);
    ``(B) while still on that duty after so engaging or
    participating; or
    ``(C) not later than 24 hours after so engaging or
    participating; and
    ``(3) such presumption is not overcome by competent medical
    evidence to the contrary.

    [[Page 2650]]
    117 STAT. 2650

    ``(l) For purposes of subsection (k), `nonroutine stressful or
    strenuous physical' excludes actions of a clerical, administrative, or
    nonmanual nature.''.

    Approved December 15, 2003.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 459:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 149 (2003):
    May 15, considerd and passed Senate.
    Nov. 21, considered and passed House, amended.
    Nov. 25, Senate concurred in House amendment.