On July 20, 2020, NAPO notified the DEA that Congress, which originally contemplated two different versions of a Coronavirus bill, worked together to pass S.3607, the “Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act,” which establishes a presumption under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program that an Officer’s death or disability due to contracting COVID-19 is in the line of duty. The bill is on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
This is a big victory for NAPO. To date, 139 Law Enforcement Officers in the United States have died in the line of duty because of COVID-19, and now their families will get the benefits they justly deserve. To qualify for the presumption, the Officer must have engaged in a line of duty action or activity between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, and received a diagnosis of COVID-19 (or evidence indicates that the Officer had COVID-19) during the 45-day period beginning on the last day of duty of the Officer. For death benefits, evidence must indicate that the Officer had COVID-19 or complications from COVID-19 at the time of death.
President Trump signed the bill into law on August 14, 2020.
Download the bill here:
