Public Safety Officers Benefits Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Judiciary.
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Act - Provides for a Federal minimum death and dismemberment benefit to be paid to public safety officers, or surviving dependents of such persons. Defines the term public safety officer as meaning a person serving the United States or a State or unit of general local government, with or without compensation, in any activity pertaining to: (1) the enforcement of the criminal laws, including highway patrol, or the maintenance of civil peace by the national guard or the Armed Forces; (2) a correctional program, facility, or institution where the activity is potentially dangerous because of contact with criminal suspects, defendants, prisoners, probationers, or parolees; (3) a court having criminal or juvenile delinquent jurisdiction where the activity is potentially dangerous because of contact with criminal suspects, defendants or prisoners; and (4) firefighting. Provides that no benefit shall be paid under this Act: (1) if the death or dismemberment was caused by intentional misconduct of the public safety officer or by such officer's intention to bring about his death or dismemberment; (2) if voluntary intoxication of the public safety officer was the proximate cause of such officer's death or dismemberment; (3) in the event the public safety officer was killed, to any person who would otherwise be entitled to a benefit under this part, if such person's actions were a substantial contributing factor to the death of the public safety officer; or (4) if a notification of death or dismemberment has not been filed by or on behalf of a public safety officer under this part with the Attorney General or the Governor or highest executive of a State within one year after the date of death or dismemberment, unless the Administration finds that the failure to file was justified by good cause. Sets forth procedures for the payment of such benefits. Sets a limit on any such payment at $50,000. Authorizes the appropriation of $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1973 to carry out this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on January 3, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on January 3, 1973: Referred to House Committee on Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
FRANK ANNUNZIO (D-IL) introduced it on January 3, 1973. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on January 3, 1973, 19608 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19608 days ago, on January 3, 1973.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers