[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 483 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 483
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to make
reforms to the benefits for Public Service Officers, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 25, 2021
Mr. Ruiz (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Demings, Mr. Bacon, Mr.
Sherman, Ms. Escobar, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Kuster, Ms. Craig, Ms.
Brownley, and Ms. Spanberger) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to make
reforms to the benefits for Public Service Officers, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Heroes Lesley Zerebny and Gilbert
Vega First Responders Survivors Support Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. AMOUNT OF BENEFIT INCREASED.
Section 1201(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe
Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(a)) is amended in the matter
preceding paragraph (1) by striking ``$250,000'' and inserting
``$550,000''.
SEC. 3. DATE OF DETERMINATION OF AMOUNT OF BENEFIT.
(a) Disability Benefit.--Section 1201(b) of title I of the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(b)) is
amended by striking ``with respect to the date on which the
catastrophic injury occurred'' and inserting ``with respect to the date
that a determination is made to make such payment''.
(b) Death Benefit.--Section 1201(i) of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(i)) is amended by
striking ``as of the date of death of such officer'' and inserting ``as
of the date that a determination is made to make such payment
subsequent to an application''.
SEC. 4. AMOUNT OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.
Section 1212(a)(2) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe
Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10302(a)(2)) is amended by striking
``shall be computed on the basis set forth in section 3532 of title 38,
United States Code'' and inserting ``shall be computed on the basis set
forth in section 1219''.
SEC. 5. COMPUTATION OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE.
Subpart 2 of part L of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``SEC. 1219. COMPUTATION OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE.
``(a) In General.--
``(1) Monthly rates.--The financial assistance to be paid
on behalf of an eligible person who is pursuing a program of
education consisting of institutional courses shall be computed
at the rate of--
``(A) $2,200 per month for full-time pursuit;
``(B) $1,700 per month for three-quarter-time
pursuit; or
``(C) $1,250 per month for half-time pursuit.
``(2) Less than half-time basis.--The financial assistance
to be paid on behalf of an eligible person pursuing a program
of education on less than a half-time basis shall be computed
at the rate of the lesser of--
``(A) the established charges for tuition and fees
that the eligible educational institution involved
requires to be paid by similarly circumstanced
noneligible persons enrolled in the same program; or
``(B) $2,200 per month for a full-time course.
``(b) Training.--The financial assistance to be paid on behalf of
an eligible person who is pursuing a full-time program of education
which consists of institutional courses and alternate phases of
training in a business or industrial establishment under which the
training in the business or industrial establishment is strictly
supplemental to the institutional portion, shall be computed at the
rate of $2,200 per month.
``(c) Farm Cooperative.--
``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `enrolled
in a farm cooperative program', relating to an eligible person,
means that the eligible person--
``(A) is enrolled in an eligible educational
institution for a farm cooperative program consisting
of institutional agricultural courses prescheduled to
fall within 44 weeks of any period of 12 consecutive
months;
``(B) pursues such program on--
``(i) a full-time basis (consisting of a
minimum of 10 clock hours per week or 440 clock
hours per year prescheduled to provide not less
than 80 clock hours in any 3-month period);
``(ii) a three-quarter-time basis
(consisting of a minimum of 7 clock hours per
week); or
``(iii) a half-time basis (consisting of a
minimum of 5 clock hours per week); and
``(C) is concurrently engaged in agricultural
employment which is relevant to such institutional
agricultural courses, as determined under standards
prescribed by the Attorney General.
``(2) Computation.--The financial assistance to be paid on
behalf of an eligible person who is enrolled in a farm
cooperative program shall be computed at the rate of--
``(A) $690 per month for full-time pursuit;
``(B) $517 per month for three-quarter-time
pursuit; or
``(C) $345 per month for half-time pursuit.
``(3) Calculation of hours.--In calculating the number of
clock hours for purposes of paragraph (1), the Attorney General
shall include the time involved in field trips and individual
and group instruction sponsored and conducted by the eligible
educational institution through a duly authorized instructor of
such institution in which the eligible person is enrolled.
``(d) Programs in Republic of Philippines.--The financial
assistance to be paid on behalf of an eligible person who is enrolled
in a program of education at an eligible educational institution
located in the Republic of the Philippines, shall be computed at the
rate of $0.50 for each $1.00 otherwise payable under this subpart.
``(e) Licensing or Certification.--
``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `licensing
or certification test' means a licensing or certification test
described in section 3501(a)(5) of title 38, United States
Code.
``(2) Computation.--Subject to paragraph (4), the amount of
financial assistance payable under this subpart for a licensing
or certification test is the lesser of $2,000 or the fee
charged for the licensing or certification test.
``(3) Number of months.--The number of months of
entitlement charged in the case of an eligible person for a
licensing or certification test is equal to the quotient
(including any fraction) obtained by dividing--
``(A) the total amount paid to the eligible person
for the licensing or certification test; by
``(B) the full-time monthly institutional rate of
the financial assistance which, but for paragraph (2),
the eligible person would otherwise be paid under this
subpart.
``(4) Limitation.--In no event shall payment of financial
assistance under this subsection for a licensing or
certification test exceed the amount of the amount to which an
eligible individual is entitled under this subpart.
``(f) National Tests for Admission or Opportunity.--
``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `national
test' means a national test for admission or national test
providing an opportunity for course credit at institutions of
higher learning described in section 3501(a)(5) of title 38,
United States Code.
``(2) National tests.--Subject to paragraph (4), the amount
of financial assistance payable under this subpart for a
national test is the amount of the fee charged for the national
test.
``(3) Number of months.--The number of months of
entitlement charged in the case of an eligible person for a
national test is equal to the quotient (including any fraction)
obtained by dividing--
``(A) the total amount of financial assistance paid
to the eligible person for the national test; by
``(B) the full-time monthly institutional rate of
financial assistance which, but for paragraph (2), the
eligible person would otherwise be paid under this
subpart.
``(4) Limitation.--In no event shall payment of financial
assistance under this subsection for a national test exceed the
amount of the amount to which an eligible individual is
entitled under this subpart.
``(g) Adjustment for Inflation.--Amounts under this section shall
be indexed annually to the college tuition and fees component of the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.''.
SEC. 6. GAO STUDY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit
a report examining and identifying ways to improve access to and the
processing of claims under the Public Safety Officers' Benefit program
under part L of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281 et seq.) to--
(1) the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on
Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives.
(b) Contents.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall
examine--
(1) factors that may hinder access to the education
assistance benefit under subpart 2 of part L of title I of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C.
10301 et seq.), such as lack of awareness, delays in the
application process, or the timely processing of deaths and
disability claims; and
(2) the extent to which eligibility for benefits and
assistance under the Public Safety Officers' Benefit program
under part L of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe
Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281 et seq.) is communicated
to officers upon employment and to eligible family members
following the loss of a public safety officer.
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