Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2017
Public Law 115-36 · S. 419 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jun 2, 2017 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Cosponsors (16): Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Orrin Hatch,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
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.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Jan 17, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Jun 2, 2017Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 22, 2017FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- May 17, 2017FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 419.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Goodlatte moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- May 16, 2017FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Mar 9, 2017CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 10.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Feb 16, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 216SenateSen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA· offered May 16, 2017Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
May 16, 2017: Amendment SA 216 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.