Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (16.571)

Program

16.571 Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Justice
Office: Bureau Of Justice Assistance

Authorization

Public Safety Officers' Benefits Act of 1976, as amended (42 U.S.C. 3796, Section 1201, Public Law No. 90-351, part L of Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968).

Program Number

16.571

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide death benefits to the eligible survivors of Federal, State or local public safety officers whose deaths are the direct and proximate result of a personal (traumatic) injury sustained in the line of duty. Effective November 29, 1990, the Act also provides the same benefit to a public safety officer who has been permanently and totally disabled as the direct result of a catastrophic personal injury sustained in the line of duty. The injury must permanently prevent the officer from performing any gainful work.

Types of Assistance

DIRECT PAYMENTS WITH UNRESTRICTED USE

Uses and Use Restrictions

To provide a one-time financial death benefit to the eligible survivors of Federal, State or local public safety officers, and disability benefit to the Federal, State or local public safety officer whose permanent and total disability is the direct and proximate result of a catastrophic personal injury sustained in the line of duty. There are no restrictions as to how the monies are spent once they reach the recipient with the exception that monies paid on behalf of minor children must be used for their care and benefit.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Public safety officers--A public safety officer is a person serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, firefighter or member of a public rescue squad or ambulance crew. Law enforcement officers include but are not limited to police, corrections, probation, parole and judicial officers. Volunteer firefighters and members of volunteer rescue squads and ambulance crews are covered if they are officially recognized or designated members of legally organized volunteer fire, rescue or ambulance departments. Disabled public safety officers and eligible survivors of deceased public safety officers in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Pacific Trust Territories and the Northern Mariana Islands are also entitled to benefits under the Act. Death benefit coverage for (1) State and local law enforcement officers and firefighters applies to deaths occurring on or after September 29, 1976; (2) Federal law enforcement officers and firefighters applies to deaths occurring on or after October 12, 1984; (3) Federal, State and local rescue squad and ambulance crew members applies to death occurring on or after October 15, 1986; and (4) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) personnel and State, local, and tribal emergency management and civil defense agency employees are covered for deaths occurring on or after October 30, 2000. Disability benefit coverage for Federal, State and local law enforcement officers, firefighters and members of public rescue squads and ambulance crews applies to injuries sustained on or after November 29, 1990. FEMA personnel and State, local and tribal emergency management and civil defense agency employees are covered for such injuries sustained on or after October 30, 2000. Disability benefit coverage for Federal, State and local law enforcement officers, firefighters and members of public rescue squads and ambulance crews applies to injuries sustained on or after November 29, 1990. FEMA personnel and State, local and tribal emergency management and civil defense agency employees are covered for such injuries sustained on or after October 30, 2000.

Beneficiary Eligibility

The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Act, enacted in 1976, was designed to offer peace of mind to men and women seeking careers in public safety and to make a strong statement about the value American society places on the contributions of those who serve their communities in potentially dangerous circumstances. The PSOB Program provides a one-time financial benefit to the eligible survivors of public safety officers whose deaths are the direct and proximate result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty. As of October 1, 2007, the death benefit amount is $303,064.

Credentials/Documentation

Claim forms entitled "Claim for Death Benefits" and "Report of Public Safety Officer's Death" or "Report of Public Safety Officers' Permanent and Total Disability," and supporting family, medical and investigative documentation. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Employing agencies and/or claimants should initiate a claim by writing to or telephoning the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 810 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20531. Telephone: 1-888-744-6513. Upon receiving such notification, program staff will provide claim forms and advise the employing agency and claimant of claim documentation requirements. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Submit "Claim for Death Benefits" and "Report of Public Safety Officer's Death" or "Report of Public Safety Officers' Permanent and Total Disability," and supporting documentation to the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 810 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20531.

Award Procedure

Upon a finding of eligibility by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, eligible claimants are awarded a lump sum benefit. For Death Benefit: If the officer is survived by spouse, but there are no eligible children, the spouse will receive 100% of the benefit. If the officer is survived by spouse and eligible children, the spouse will receive 50% of the benefit and the children will receive equal shares of the remaining 50%. If the officer is survived by eligible children but no spouse, the children will receive equal shares of the benefit. If the officer is survived by neither a spouse, nor eligible children and did not have a life insurance policy on file with his or her employing agency, then the benefit will be made payable to the surviving parents in equal shares.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Dependent on circumstances of death, sufficiency of claim documentation, and/or the need for expert medical reviews. This varies from case to case.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

This program has no matching requirements.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

None. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Audits

No audits are required for this program.

Records

None.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: In Fiscal Year 2006, PSOB developed an E-package. Using the E-package, PSOB program staff proactively email claim packages to public safety agencies when a public safety officer is either killed or becomes permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty. All standard documents are available in English and Spanish. All PSOB applications are now web-based. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

15-0403-0-1-754.

Obligations

(Direct Payments with Unrestricted Use) FY 08 $118,116,071; FY 09 est $55,000,000; FY 10 est $5,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

None.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 32.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Valerie Neal 810 7th Street, NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20531 Email: AskPSOB@usdoj.gov Phone: (202) 616-6500 or 1-888-744-6513

Web Site Address

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psob/psob_main.html.

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Not Applicable.