S 1511 · 117th Congress 2021–2023, ended

Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021

Introduced Apr 29, 2021 Originated Senate Became Public Law 117-61 Sponsor Chuck Grassley R-IA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Nov 18, 2021 Became Public Law No: 117-61.

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.

  1. IntroducedApr 29, 2021
  2. Passed SenateJun 10, 2021
  3. Passed HouseOct 27, 2021
  4. To the PresidentNov 16, 2021
  5. Became lawNov 18, 2021Public Law 117-61

Summary

Protecting America's First Responders Act of 2021

This bill makes changes to 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 in the line of duty or permanently disabled as a result of catastrophic injuries sustained in the line of duty.

Among the changes, the bill

  • expands the public safety officers eligible for coverage under the PSOB program to include firefighters whose primary duty during an emergency response is to secure the scene or manage traffic and cadets or trainees in candidate-officer training;
  • extends coverage under the PSOB program to certain public safety officers responding outside their jurisdiction;
  • increases the interim benefit amount payable on a claim for death benefits and requires the interim amount to be adjusted annually for inflation;
  • increases the benefit amount payable on a death or disability claim that has been pending for more than 365 days on the date of the final determination;
  • allows the Department of Justice (DOJ) to use investigative tools, including subpoenas, to expedite the processing of claims and obtain information or documentation from third parties (e.g., public agencies);
  • specifies that an injury resulting from a neurocognitive disorder qualifies as a catastrophic injury for the purposes of disability benefits;
  • requires (currently, authorizes) DOJ to provide retroactive education benefits to qualifying children and spouses;
  • specifies that hearing officers appointed to review claims are special government employees (i.e., employees who perform temporary duties for a limited period of time) and are authorized to conduct examinations;
  • allows responders to the World Trade Center or their surviving family members to file claims for death or disability benefits in certain circumstances; and
  • extends the period during which public safety officers who die or become injured as a result of COVID-19 are eligible for benefits.

Recorded votes 1

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll callQuestionResultDate
House 338Passed420–3Oct 27, 2021

Cosponsors 18

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 29, 2021 to Sep 13, 2021; 10 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-MNAmy KlobucharOriginalApr 29, 2021
D-MTJon TesterOriginalApr 29, 2021
D-NYKirsten E. GillibrandOriginalApr 29, 2021
R-TNMarsha BlackburnOriginalApr 29, 2021
D-HIMazie K. HironoOriginalApr 29, 2021
R-IDMike CrapoOriginalApr 29, 2021
D-CTRichard BlumenthalOriginalApr 29, 2021
D-RISheldon WhitehouseOriginalApr 29, 2021
R-MTSteve DainesOriginalApr 29, 2021
R-NCThom TillisOriginalApr 29, 2021
D-VTPatrick J. LeahyMay 10, 2021
D-DEChristopher A. CoonsMay 11, 2021
R-TXTed CruzMay 12, 2021
D-NJCory A. BookerMay 13, 2021
D-ILRichard J. DurbinMay 13, 2021
D-NVCatherine Cortez MastoMay 17, 2021
D-NHMargaret Wood HassanJun 9, 2021
D-GAJon OssoffSep 13, 2021

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
SenateJudiciary Committee
Referred Apr 29, 2021Markup May 13, 2021Discharged Jun 10, 2021

Actions 22

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Nov 18, 2021Signed by President.
  2. Nov 18, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-61.
  3. Nov 16, 2021Presented to President.
  4. Nov 8, 2021Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Nov 4, 2021Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 1511 by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8054)
Show all 22 actions

In the Congressional Record 7

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
HouseDebate and remarks H4811Raul Ruiz D-CAMay 11, 2022
SenateDebate and remarks S8067Chuck Grassley R-IANov 15, 2021
SenateDebate and remarks S8054Motions S8054Jon Ossoff D-GA (motion)Nov 4, 2021
HouseDebate and remarks H5948–H5953Text printed H5948–H5950Recorded votes H5954enactLists H5954Votes recorded by proxy on S. 1511, Protecting America’s First Responders ActBill Pascrell, Jr. D-NJ, Cliff Bentz R-OR, Joe Courtney D-CT, Raul Ruiz D-CA, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TXOct 27, 2021
SenateDebate and remarks S4918Chuck Grassley R-IAJul 15, 2021
Show all 7 days

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

  1. May 18, 2021S. 1511, Protecting America's First Responders Act of 2021As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on May 13, 2021

CRS reports 4

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 4

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

Amendments 1

Amendments offered to this bill.

AmendmentDescriptionOffered byStatus
SA 2118To improve the bill.Chuck Grassley R-IAAmendment SA 2118 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 2936Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021Identical billNov 9, 2021

Titles 6

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 with respect to payments to certain public safety officers who have become permanently and totally disabled as a result of personal injuries sustained in the line of duty, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Passed House
Protecting America's First Responders Act of 2021
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021
Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021
Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021
Short Title(s) from Engrossed Amendment House bill text
Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.

Text 4

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. —Enrolled Bill
  2. Oct 27, 2021Engrossed Amendment House
  3. Jun 10, 2021Engrossed in Senate
  4. Apr 29, 2021Introduced in Senate

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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.