Sponsors (14)
The bill increases access to death benefits for families of public safety officers who die of cardiovascular events, improving support for those families while creating modest additional costs for the benefits program and taxpayers.
Surviving family members of public safety officers would be more likely to receive death benefits when an officer dies from a cardiovascular event by expanding the presumption that such deaths occurred in the line of duty.
Taxpayers and the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program could face increased costs because expanding eligibility may raise the number of claims, potentially reducing funds for other beneficiaries or requiring additional appropriations.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Broadens the presumption that certain cardiovascular-related deaths of public safety officers are line-of-duty deaths and extends a 24-hour timing window to 72 hours; applies to pending and new claims.
Official title: To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to simplify the claim process for beneficiaries of public safety officers who die from a heart attack or stroke to receive payment through the Public Safety Office Benefit program.
Introduced July 22, 2026 by Jose Luis Correa · Last progress July 22, 2026
Expands the statutory presumption that certain deaths involving public safety officers are line-of-duty deaths for benefit claims related to cardiovascular events and related conditions. It widens the covered circumstances, lengthens a short timing window from 24 to 72 hours, adjusts internal linking of listed provisions, and makes these changes apply to claims pending or filed on or after the law's enactment. The change affects how benefit administrators evaluate and approve claims under the simplified-claims provision of the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program, likely increasing the number of deaths treated as presumptively work-related for eligible public safety officers and their survivors.