S. 419: Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-16 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-16 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2017

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on May 16, 2017. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2017 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to revise requirements for 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 or injured in the line of duty.) It authorizes the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to establish PSOB program rules, regulations, and procedures based on standards developed by another federal agency. In determining a claimant's eligibility for death or disability benefits, the BJA must give substantial weight to evidence and facts presented by a state, local, or federal agency. If a state, local, or federal agency provides a certification of facts regarding eligibility for death or disability benefits, then BJA must adopt the factual findings, if they are supported by substantial evidence. The BJA must also publish and update information on pending claims and submitted claims for death, disability, and educational benefits. (Sec. 3) This section extends the age limitation for a PSOB claim for death, disability, or education benefits that is approved more than one year after the date on which it was filed. (Sec. 4) The BJA must attempt to obtain necessary documentation to determine a claimant's eligibility for death, disability, or education benefits. If it cannot determine eligibility due to a lack of documentation from a third party (e.g., a public agency), and such information is not readily available to the claimant, then the BJA may abandon the claim only after it utilizes investigative tools, including subpoenas, to obtain the information. (Sec. 5) The bill establishes a presumption that a public safety officer acted properly at the time of injury or death and that no specified limitation (e.g., voluntary intoxication at the time of injury or death) bars the payment of death or disability benefits. The BJA must not determine that a limitation applies, absent clear and convincing evidence. (Sec. 6) This bill's provisions apply to a claim that is pending on or submitted on or after enactment.

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · 16 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 419, Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2017 (2017-04-06)

Cosponsors on this site

Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Thom Tillis (R-NC)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] reported raising $527,998 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s419.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>

Record fed-us-cong115-s419 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115