Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025

Summary

Extends federal public safety officers’ death and disability benefit eligibility to certain retired law enforcement officers who are killed or become permanently and totally disabled as the direct result of a targeted attack tied to their prior service. The change creates a new eligibility rule, defines who counts as a “retired law enforcement officer” for this purpose, and applies both going forward and retroactively to actions on or after January 1, 2012.

• Extends Public Safety Officers’ Benefits eligibility to certain retired law enforcement officers harmed by targeted attacks tied to their service.
• Covers deaths and permanent total disabilities resulting from attacks connected to prior law-enforcement duties.
• Statute defines who counts as a “retired law enforcement officer” for eligibility purposes.
• Applies prospectively and retroactively to actions on or after January 1, 2012, and governs pending/past matters as specified.
• Creates administrative work for the benefits program to verify "targeted" attacks and to adjudicate retroactive claims.
• May generate new benefits payments and back-pay liability depending on how many cases meet the new standard.
• Requires coordination between benefit administrators and law-enforcement/investigative records to establish causation and targeting.
• Does not change tax law, appropriations process, or create new state/local mandates explicitly.