[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 66 Referred in House (RFH)]

  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 66


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 2002

               Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  To express the sense of the Congress that the Public Safety Officer 
 Medal of Valor should be awarded to public safety officers killed in 
the line of duty in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 
                               11, 2001.

Whereas the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-12, 
        115 Stat. 20)--
                    (A) allows the President to award, and present in the name 
                of Congress, a Medal of Valor to a public safety officer cited 
                by the Attorney General of the United States, upon the 
                recommendation of the Medal of Valor Review Board, for 
                extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty; and
                    (B) provides that the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor 
                shall be the highest national award for valor by a public safety 
                officer;
Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and destroyed 4 civilian 
        aircraft, crashing 2 of the planes into the towers of the World Trade 
        Center in New York City, and a third into the Pentagon in suburban 
        Washington, DC;
Whereas thousands of innocent Americans were killed or injured as a result of 
        these attacks, including rescue workers, police officers, and 
        firefighters at the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon;
Whereas these attacks destroyed both towers of the World Trade Center, as well 
        as adjacent buildings, and seriously damaged the Pentagon;
Whereas police officers, firefighters, public safety officers, and medical 
        response crews were thrown into extraordinarily dangerous situations, 
        responding to these horrendous events and acting heroically, without 
        concern for their own safety, trying to help and to save as many of the 
        lives of others as possible in the impact zones, in spite of the clear 
        danger to their own lives; and
Whereas these attacks were by far the deadliest terrorist attacks ever launched 
        against the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) because of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the 
        limit on the number of Public Safety Officer Medals of Valor 
        should be waived, and a medal should be awarded under the 
        Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001 to any public 
        safety officer, as defined in that Act, who was killed in the 
        line of duty; and
            (2) the Medal of Valor Review Board should give strong 
        consideration to the acts of bravery by other public safety 
        officers in responding to these events.

            Passed the Senate April 18, 2002.

            Attest:

                                                  JERI THOMSON,

                                                             Secretary.