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Protecting America's First Responders Act of 2021

Public Law 117-61 · S. 1511 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Nov 18, 2021 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Cosponsors (18): Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 420 yea, 3 nay420–3
  • 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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This bill makes changes to 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 in the line of duty or permanently disabled as a result of catastrophic injuries sustained in the line of duty.

Among the changes, the bill

• expands the public safety officers eligible for coverage under the PSOB program to include firefighters whose primary duty during an emergency response is to secure the scene or manage traffic and cadets or trainees in candidate-officer training;

• extends coverage under the PSOB program to certain public safety officers responding outside their jurisdiction;

• increases the interim benefit amount payable on a claim for death benefits and requires the interim amount to be adjusted annually for inflation;

• increases the benefit amount payable on a death or disability claim that has been pending for more than 365 days on the date of the final determination;

• allows the Department of Justice (DOJ) to use investigative tools, including subpoenas, to expedite the processing of claims and obtain information or documentation from third parties (e.g., public agencies);

• specifies that an injury resulting from a neurocognitive disorder qualifies as a catastrophic injury for the purposes of disability benefits;

• requires (currently, authorizes) DOJ to provide retroactive education benefits to qualifying children and spouses;

• specifies that hearing officers appointed to review claims are special government employees (i.e., employees who perform temporary duties for a limited period of time) and are authorized to conduct examinations;

• allows responders to the World Trade Center or their surviving family members to file claims for death or disability benefits in certain circumstances; and

• extends the period during which public safety officers who die or become injured as a result of COVID-19 are eligible for benefits.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 420 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

420 yea3 nay8 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(217)

Republicans who voted yea(203)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 337 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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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.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 2936Identical bill

    Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Nov 18, 2021Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-61.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 16, 2021FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 8, 2021FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Nov 4, 2021Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 1511 by Unanimous Consent.
  6. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 1511 by Unanimous Consent.
  7. Oct 28, 2021FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
  8. Oct 27, 2021FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 420 - 3 (Roll no. 338).House roll call 338
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1511.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  14. FloorFloor · Ms. Jackson Lee moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  15. Jun 14, 2021FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  16. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  17. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  18. Jun 10, 2021FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  19. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  21. May 13, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  22. Apr 29, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  23. 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.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 2118SenateSen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA· offered Jun 10, 2021Agreed to

    To improve the bill.

    Jun 10, 2021: Amendment SA 2118 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.