HR 7718
Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act of 2026
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Bill overview
This bill, the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act of 2026, aims to improve the process for awarding death and disability benefits to public safety officers and their families. It focuses on speeding up claim processing, providing clearer communication to claimants, and addressing backlogs in the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The bill also includes provisions to clarify eligibility criteria and streamline the determination of benefits, particularly for permanent and partial disabilities.
Key provisions
- Expedited claim processing with clear timelines for notification and determination.
- Interim benefit payments to claimants awaiting final determination, potentially up to $6,000.
- Clarified definitions of ‘complete claim’ and ‘gainful work’ to improve eligibility assessments.
- Enhanced outreach efforts to ensure public safety officers and underserved agencies are aware of the benefits program.
- Increased subpoena authority for the Bureau to obtain necessary information from public agencies.
- Streamlined determination process for claims related to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and the World Trade Center Health Program.
- Modifications to benefit calculations for permanent and partial disabilities, including a provision for half benefits in cases of partial disability.
- Implementation of GAO recommendations to improve program transparency and management.
Who is affected
- Public safety officers and their families
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Randy K. Sr. Weber
Cosponsors
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 7718
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To revise administrative procedures relating to public safety officers’ death benefits, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act of 2026
.
Section 1205 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10285) is amended—
in subsection (e)(2)(E), by inserting , including whether the delay is due to the inaction of the claimant or the failure to cooperate of an agency from which information is required
after basis for delay
; and
by adding at the end the following:
Provision of interim benefits under section 1201(d) shall be deemed to be notice under subparagraph (A).
alter the determination of eligible beneficiaries under section 1201; or
require payment of interim benefits to multiple claimants if the statute authorizes payment to only 1 or more mutually exclusive beneficiaries.
The Bureau shall—
include in the outreach efforts under paragraph (1) regular communications with national public safety organizations, public safety agencies, and organizations supporting disabled public safety officers and the families of fallen officers.
Not later than 30 days after publishing the report required under subsection (e)(2), the Bureau shall submit a summary of the information required to be reported under subsection (e)(2)(E) to the and the .
On an annual basis, the Comptroller General shall conduct an audit of any pending claims under this part that were submitted to the Bureau more than 1 year before the date on which the audit is commenced, to identify programmatic challenges to the timely processing of death, disability, and educational assistance claims. As part of the audit, the Comptroller General shall also review—
Section 1206(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10288(b)) is amended—
in paragraph (1)(B), by striking and
at the end;
in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
by adding at the end the following:
with respect to information or documentation in the possession of a public agency that the Bureau has determined is necessary to adjudicate the claim that the public agency has failed to provide by the date that is 30 days after the date of the Bureau's or the claimant's request to provide the information or documentation, shall issue a subpoena to the public agency to obtain the information or documentation, unless the Bureau has approved an extension not exceeding 60 days.
or gainful work as a public safety officerafter
including sedentary workeach place it appears; and
in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking parapalegic
and inserting paraplegic
;
by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
complete claim
means any claim that—
by inserting after paragraph (8), as so redesignated, the following:
gainful work
means gainful work activity, as defined in section 416.972 of title 20, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulation;
(9)(A)each place it appears.
Section 1863(b)(5)(B) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking section 1203(6)
and inserting section 1204
.
In accordance with regulations issued pursuant to this part, in any case in which the Bureau determines that a public safety officer has become permanently, but not totally, disabled as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty that has caused a physical or mental impairment of such severity that the public safety officer is prevented from performing any gainful work as a public safety officer, including if the individual is medically retired by the public safety agency, a benefit shall be payable to the public safety officer (if living on the date on which the determination is made) of half of the amount that would be payable, as of the date such injury was sustained (including as adjusted in accordance with subsection (i), and calculated in accordance with subsection (j)), if such determination were a determination under subsection (a).
If, not later than 3 years after the date of sustaining the injury described in paragraph (1), the severity of the impairment of the public safety officer progresses to that of permanent and total disability, as described in subsection (b), the public safety officer may apply for a benefit under that subsection and, if the Bureau determines that a permanent and total disability exists, the Bureau shall pay the public safety officer a benefit in the amount of the benefit to which the public safety officer would have been entitled under that subsection, less any benefit provided under this subsection.
by striking subsection (d), and inserting the following:
subsections (a) and (b)and inserting
subsections (a), (b), and (c).
adjusted in accordance with subsection (h), and calculated in accordance with subsection (i)and inserting
adjusted in accordance with subsection (i), and calculated in accordance with subsection (j);
in subsection (b), by striking adjusted in accordance with subsection (h), and calculated in accordance with subsection (i)
and inserting adjusted in accordance with subsection (i), and calculated in accordance with subsection (j)
;
in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by striking subsection (h)
and inserting subsection (i)
;
in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by striking subsection (c)
and inserting subsection (d)
;
in subsection (i), as so redesignated—
by striking subsection (c)
and inserting subsection (d)
; and
subsections (a) and (b)and inserting
subsections (a), (b), and (c);
in subsection (j), as so redesignated, by striking and total
after death or permanent
;
in subsection (m), as so redesignated, by striking subsection (k)
and inserting subsection (l)
;
in subsection (n), as so redesignated, by striking subsection (a), (b), or (c)
and inserting subsection (a), (b), (c), or (d)
;
in subsection (p)(3), as so redesignated—
in the paragraph heading, by striking and total disability
and inserting or permanent disability
;
subsection (a) or (b)and inserting
subsection (a), (b), or (c);
and totalafter
death or permanent; and
and totalafter
death or permanent; and
in subsection (r)(2)(A), as so redesignated—
subsection (a) or (b)and inserting
subsection (a), (b), or (c); and
by striking and total
each place it appears; and
in section 1205(e)—
(f)(3)and inserting
(g)(3); and
in paragraph (3)(A), by striking (f)(3)
and inserting (g)(3)
.
Section 3(b)(2) of the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022 (34 U.S.C. 10281 note; Public Law 117–172; 136 Stat. 2101) is amended—
section 1201(o)and inserting
section 1201(p); and
by striking January 1, 2019
and inserting January 1, 2018
.
Section 1086(d)(2)(B) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112–239; 126 Stat. 1969) is amended by striking Section 1201(k)
and inserting Section 1201(l)
.
Section 611(a) of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (34 U.S.C. 10286(a)) is amended by striking and total
after producing permanent
.
Section 8204(b)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (Public Law 119–60) is amended by striking section 1201(p)
and inserting section 1201(q)
.
Section 1205(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10285(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
In making determinations under section 1201(a), the Bureau shall, absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, as determined by the Bureau, approve any claim if the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note; Public Law 107–42) (commonly referred to as the VCF
) or the World Trade Center Health Program under title XXXIII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300mm et seq.) provides a certification of facts that—
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall ensure that the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance implements the recommendations provided in the report of the Government Accountability Office entitled Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program: Transparency, Claims Assistance, and Program Management Improvements Needed
(GAO–24–105549), published on September 27, 2024.
Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act shall be construed as expanding or altering any benefits available to dependents under subpart 2 of part L of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281 et seq.).