News
Urge President Bush to Implement Hometown Heroes Act
Congressmen Bob Etheridge (D-NC) and Peter King (R-NY) and Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) are asking their colleagues to sign onto a letter to President Bush expressing concern with the manner in which the Department of Justice (DOJ) is implementing the Hometown Heroes Survivor Benefits Act. The Act was supposed to make it possible for the families of public safety officers who die from heart attack or stroke within 24 hours of participating in emergency response activities to be able to collect a Public Safety Officer’s Benefit (PSOB). PSOB is a one-time death and disability payment to the families of public safety officers who die in the line of duty.
The Hometown Heroes Act passed in December of 2004, but it wasn’t until last September that the administration finalized how it would be implemented and began processing applications. Since then, DOJ’s Benefits Office has made 40 determinations, 38 negative and two positive, with 200 applications still pending.
The Congressional letter is similar to a letter sent to the President by NVFC and other fire service groups several weeks ago. One major concern expressed in both letters is the length of time that families of fallen public safety officers have had to wait to have their applications processed, in some instances several years.
The purpose of the Hometown Heroes Act was to create a presumption that a public safety officer who dies within 24 hours of participating in “nonroutine stressful or strenuous physical” training or emergency response activity died in the line of duty. DOJ’s interpretation of the law places the burden of proof that the physical activity the officer engaged in was nonroutine stressful or strenuous on the applicant. The NVFC believes that this interpretation is at odds with the intent of Congress.
The NVFC urges you to contact your U.S. Representative and Senators and ask them to sign onto the Etheridge/King/Leahy/Specter letter expressing concern about DOJ’s implementation of the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act.
The Hometown Heroes Act passed in December of 2004, but it wasn’t until last September that the administration finalized how it would be implemented and began processing applications. Since then, DOJ’s Benefits Office has made 40 determinations, 38 negative and two positive, with 200 applications still pending.
The Congressional letter is similar to a letter sent to the President by NVFC and other fire service groups several weeks ago. One major concern expressed in both letters is the length of time that families of fallen public safety officers have had to wait to have their applications processed, in some instances several years.
The purpose of the Hometown Heroes Act was to create a presumption that a public safety officer who dies within 24 hours of participating in “nonroutine stressful or strenuous physical” training or emergency response activity died in the line of duty. DOJ’s interpretation of the law places the burden of proof that the physical activity the officer engaged in was nonroutine stressful or strenuous on the applicant. The NVFC believes that this interpretation is at odds with the intent of Congress.
The NVFC urges you to contact your U.S. Representative and Senators and ask them to sign onto the Etheridge/King/Leahy/Specter letter expressing concern about DOJ’s implementation of the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act.
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Kimberly Ettinger
Director of Communications
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David Finger
Director of Government Relations
202-887-5700 ext. 12