U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, urged Congress to support a bill that would increase the benefits to first responders who die or are injured in the line of duty.
The bill, H.R. 2936, or the Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021, makes improvements to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program. Currently, the program provides first responders who die or are permanently disabled in the line of duty with a $370,000 benefit and a $1,200 a month education assistance to their children or spouse.
Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and has advanced Thursday during a markup by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“In the past year, we have asked more from our first responders than ever before. They have stood on front lines of a pandemic and defended our nation’s Capitol from a deadly right-wing terrorist attack. These brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day must have the utmost support from the federal government, especially those who have made drastic sacrifices in the line of duty,” Pascrell said. “First responders constitute both our first and last lines of defense. This much we know. What many don’t know, however, are the struggles many first responders and their families deal with after sustaining serious injuries or loss of life on the job. The Protecting America’s First Responders Act will directly assist those brave individuals struggling with lasting impacts of service.”
If passed, PAFRA would expand access to benefits for permanently disabled officers, cut through red tape for families to get their benefits quicker, and closes loopholes that leave some public safety officers and their families out of the program.
Previously, Pascrell worked on a bill included in the HEROES Act passed on May 15, 2020, which ensures public safety officers who contract COVID-19 in the line of duty are eligible for PSOB benefits should they become disabled or die from COVID-19.