Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
Latest action · Dec 22, 2016 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 18, 2016
- Passed SenateNov 29, 2016
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to revise requirements for the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. (The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty.)
It authorizes the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to establish PSOB program rules, regulations, and procedures based on standards developed by another federal agency.
In determining a claimant's eligibility for death or disability benefits, the BJA must give substantial weight to evidence and facts presented by a state, local, or federal agency.
The BJA must also publish and update information on pending claims and report to Congress on submitted claims for death, disability, and educational benefits.
(Sec. 3) This section extends the age limitation for a PSOB claim for death, disability, or education benefits that is approved more than one year after the date on which it was filed.
(Sec. 4) The BJA must attempt to obtain necessary documentation to determine a claimant's eligibility for death, disability, or education benefits. If it cannot determine eligibility due to a lack of documentation from a third party (e.g., a public agency), then the BJA may abandon the claim only after it utilizes investigative tools, including subpoenas, to obtain the information.
(Sec. 5) The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that a public safety officer acted properly at the time of injury or death and that no specified limitation (e.g., voluntary intoxication at the time of injury or death) bars the payment of death or disability benefits. The BJA may rebut the presumption by clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.
(Sec. 6) This bill's provisions apply to a claim that is pending on or submitted on or after enactment.
Cosponsors 6
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 18, 2016 to Sep 6, 2016; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Original | May 18, 2016 |
| R-UT | Orrin G. Hatch | May 26, 2016 | |
| R-MO | Roy Blunt | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Jun 6, 2016 | |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Jun 6, 2016 | |
| R-NH | Kelly Ayotte | Sep 6, 2016 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred May 18, 2016Markup Jun 10, 2016Reported Jun 10, 2016 |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Nov 30, 2016 |
| Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee | Referred Dec 22, 2016 |
Actions 12
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 22, 2016Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Nov 30, 2016Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 30, 2016Received in the House.
- Nov 30, 2016Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Nov 29, 2016Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S6571-6573; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S6571-6572)
- Nov 29, 2016The committee amendments withdrawn by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6573)
- Nov 29, 2016Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 9, 2016Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- Jun 9, 2016Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with amendments. Without written report.
- Jun 9, 2016Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 513.
- May 18, 2016Introduced in Senate
- May 18, 2016Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2976-2977)
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6571–S6573Text printed S6571Amendments S6556, S6557, S6571, S6573 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY (amendment), Christopher A. Coons D-DE (amendment), Chuck Grassley R-IA (amendment), Kirsten E. Gillibrand D-NY (amendment), Mitch McConnell R-KY, Orrin G. Hatch R-UT (amendment), Patrick J. Leahy D-VT, Roy Blunt R-MO (amendment) | Nov 29, 2016 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6199 | Chuck Grassley R-IA | Sep 28, 2016 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2976 | Chuck Grassley R-IA, Kirsten E. Gillibrand D-NY | May 18, 2016 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Jul 12, 2016S. 2944, Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2016As reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on June 9, 2016
Amendments 2
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 5113 | In the nature of a substitute. | Chuck Grassley R-IAfor Mitch McConnell | Amendment SA 5113 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
| SA 5114 | To amend the title. | Chuck Grassley R-IAfor Mitch McConnell | Amendment SA 5114 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 5743 | Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 | Related bill | Jul 27, 2016 |
Titles 5
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to require adequate reporting on the Public Safety Officers' Benefit program, and for other purposes.
- Official Titles as Amended by Senate
- A bill to require adequate reporting on the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2016
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Administrative remedies
- Congressional oversight
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Department of Justice
- Disability assistance
- Employee benefits and pensions
- Evidence and witnesses
- Fires
- First responders and emergency personnel
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government information and archives
- Government studies and investigations
- Law enforcement officers
- Student aid and college costs
- Terrorism
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Nov 30, 2016Referred in House
- Nov 29, 2016Engrossed in Senate
- Jun 9, 2016Reported to Senate
- May 18, 2016Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
