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Legislative Update

AFTER LONG DELAY HOMETOWN HEROES ACT

GOES INTO EFFECT

Includes NAPO’s Suggestions for Improvement

 Almost three years ago, President Bush signed the Hometown Heroes Act into law on December 15, 2003.  A year ago, the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) posted the initial proposed rules for the implementation of the Hometown Heroes Act for comment.  NAPO had some concerns with the draft language and formally submitted comments to the BJA.  When the final rules were published in the Federal Register on August 10, 2006, NAPO was pleased to see many of our suggestions had been incorporated.  The provisions of the Hometown Heroes Act were finally implemented on September 11, 2006.  The regulations can be found on NAPO’s website, www.napo.org.  

 Hope Janke, who heads the Public Safety Officers Benefit Program (PSOB), spoke to our members about the new regulations at our Annual Legal Rights and Legislative Seminar on October 4.  NAPO took this opportunity to personally thank her and the PSOB office, for taking into account and using NAPO’s suggestions in the composition of the final rules.

 This necessary expansion of the Department of Justice’s Public Safety Officers Benefit Program (PSOB) extends coverage to include those officers who suffer debilitating or fatal heart attacks or strokes while on, or related to, active duty or training work. 

 Families of any public safety officer who died of a heart attack or stroke in the line of duty since December 15th, 2003, must submit an application to the PSOB office to find out if they are eligible.  Survivors must file for the benefit within three years of the officer’s death, leaving only a couple of months for those who lost a family member shortly after the bill became a law. 

 The PSOB Program now has an online application system in which you can file for survivor benefits.  Currently the website (https://www.psob.gov) only accepts applications for death benefits, but the PSOB office is working on including disability and educational benefits applications on the website in the near future.

 NAPO is proud to have worked on strengthening the PSOB program over the years.  NAPO’s accomplishments include helping to increase the program’s one time base payment, as well as our current victory of the enactment and implementation of the Hometown Heroes Act.  

 New provisions, including the Hometown Heroes Act available here for review.

 

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