STATUTE-90-Pg1346 Ley Pública 94-430 29 Sept 1976

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90 STAT. 1346

PUBLIC LAW 94-430—SEPT. 29 , 1976

Public Law 94-430

94th Congress

An Act

Sept 29, 1976

[H.R. 366]

Public Safety

Officers' Benefits

Act of 19 76.

4 2 u s e 3 7 0 1

note.

To

am end th e Om nibus Cr ime Con t ro l and Safe S t ree t s Ac t o f 1968, a s amended ,

to provide benefi ts to survivors of cer ta in public safe ty of lScers who die in the

per fo rmance o f du ty .

Be it enacted

hy

the Senate and Ho use of Representatives of the

Un ited States of merica in Con gress

assembled That this ct may

be cited as the Pu blic S afe ty Officers' Benefits Act of 1976 .

SEC. 2. Ti t le I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act

of 1968, as amended, is amended by adding at the end thereof the

fol lowing new part :

P A R T J . — P U B L I C S A F E T Y

OFFICERS'

D E A T H B E N E F I T S

P A Y M E N T S

42 use 3796. SEC. 701. (a) In any case in which the Administration determines,

under regulat ions issued pursuant to this part , that a publ ic safety

officer has died as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury

sustained in the line of duty, the Administration shall pay a benefit

of $50,000 as follows:

(1 ) if the re is no sur viv ing child of such officer, to the sur

viving spouse of such officer;

(2 ) if ther e is a surv iving child or children and a surv iving

spouse, one-half to the surviving child or children of such officer

in equal shares and one-half to the surviving spouse;

(3 ) if there is no survivin g spouse, to the child or children of

such officer in equal shares; or

(4 ) if none of the above, to the dependent pa ren t or pare nts

of suc h officer in eq ual sh are s.

Interim payment. (b) W henever the Ad m inistrat ion determines, upon a showing of

need and prior to taking final action, that the death of a public safety

officer is one with respect to which a benefit will probably be paid, the

Administration may make an interim benefit payment not exceeding

$3,000 to the pe rson e ntitled to receive a benefit un der subsection (a )

of this section.

(c) The amount of an interim payment under subsection (b) of

this section shall be deducted from the amount of any final benefit paid

to such person.

(d) Where there is no final benefit paid, the recipient of any

interim payment under subsection (b) of this section shall be liable

for repayment of such amount . The Administrat ion may waive al l or

part of such repayment , considering for this purpose the hardship

which would result from such repayment .

(e ) Th e benefit payab le und er this pa rt shall be in add ition to any

other benefit that may be due from any other source, but shall be

reduced by—

(1 ) pay m ents auth orized by section 8191 of t i t le 5, U nited

States Code;


2/3

P U B L I C L A W 9 4 - 4 3 0 — S E P T . 2 9 , 1 9 7 6

90 S T A T . 1347

( 2 ) p a y m e n t s a u t h o r i z e d b y s e c t i o n 12(k) of the Ac t of

S e p t e m b e r 1 1916 a s a m e n d e d ( D . C . C o d e , s ec . 4 - 5 3 1 ( 1 ) ) .

( f ) No be ne f it p a i d un de r t h i s p a r t s ha l l be s ub j e c t t o e xe c u t i on

o r a t t a c h m e n t .

u

L I M I T A T I O N S

S E C .

702 . N o be ne fi t s ha l l be p a i d un de r t h i s

part—

( 1 ) i f t he de a t h w a s c a us e d by t he i n t e n t i on a l m i s c on duc t of

th e pub l ic sa f e ty officer o r by suc h of fice r' s in te n t io n to b r i n g ab ou t

h i s d e a t h ;

(2 ) i f vo lu nt a r y in tox ica t io n of th e pu bl i c sa f e ty officer w as

the p roximate cause of such of f ice r ' s d e a t h ; o r

( 3 ) t o a n y p e r s on w ho w ou l d o t he r w i s e be e n t i t l e d t o a be nef it

unde r t h i s p a r t i f s uc h p e r s on ' s a c t i ons w e r e a s ubs t a n t i a l c on

t r i b u t i n g

factor

to th e dea th of th e pu bl ic sa fe ty off icer .

u

D E F I N I T I O N S

S E C .

703 . A s u s e d i n t h i s

part—

( 1 ) ' c h i l d ' m e a n s a n y n a t u r a l , i l l e g i t i m a t e , a d o p t e d , o r p o s t

humous ch i ld or s tepchi ld of a deceased publ ic sa f e ty of f ice r who,

a t the t ime of the publ ic sa f e ty of f ice r ' s dea th ,

i s—

( A ) e i gh t e e n ye a r s o f a ge o r under;

( B ) ove r e i gh t e e n ye a r s o f a ge a n d a s t u de n t a s de fi ned

i n s e c t i on 8101 o f t i t l e 5 , U n i t e d S t a t e s C o de ; o r

( C ) ove r e i gh t e e n ye a r s o f a ge a nd i nc a p a b l e o f self-

s u p p o r t b e c a u se o f p h y s i c a l o r m e n t a l d i s a b i l i t y ;

( 2 ) ' d e p e n d e n t ' m e a n s a p e r s o n w h o w a s s u b s t a n t i a l l y r e l i a n t

f o r s u p p o r t up on t h e i nc om e o f t h e de c e as e d p ub l i c s a f e t y o ff ic er ;

(3 ) ' f i r em an ' inc lu des a pe r so n se rv in g as an of ficial ly r e cog

n i z e d o r de s i gn a t e d m e m be r of a l e ga l l y o r g a n i z e d vo l u n t e e r fire

department;

( 4 ) ' i n t o x i c a t i o n ' m e a n s a d i s t u r b a n c e of m e n t a l o r p h y s i c a l

f a c u l t i e s r e s u l t i ng f r om t h e i n t r od uc t i o n o f a l c oho l , d r u gs , o r

o t h e r s u b s t a n c e s in t o t h e

b o d y ;

(5 ) ' l aw enforc em en t of fice r' m ea ns a pe r s on inv olv ed in c r ime

a nd j uve n i l e de l i nque nc y c on t r o l o r r e duc t i on , o r e n f o r c e m e n t o f

t he c r i m i na l l a w s . T h i s i nc l ude s , bu t i s no t l i m i t e d t o , p o l i c e ,

c o r r e c t i o ns , p r o ba t i on , p a r o l e , a n d j ud i c i a l o ff ic er s;

( 6 ) ' p u b l i c a g e n c y ' m e a n s a n y S t a t e o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s ,

t h e D i s t r i c t o f C o l u m b i a , t h e C o m m o n w e a l t h o f P u e r t o R i c o , a n d

a ny t e r r i t o r y o r p os s e s s i on o f t he U n i t e d S t a t e s , o r a ny un i t o f

l oc a l go ve r nm e n t , c om bi na t i on o f s uc h S t a t e s , o r un i t s , o r a n y

d e p a r t m e n t , a g e n c y , o r i n s t r u m e n t a l i t y o f a n y o f t h e f o r e g o i n g ;

a n d

(7) ' publ ic sa f e ty of f ice r ' means a pe r son se rv ing a publ ic

a ge nc y i n a n o f f i c i a l c a p a c i t y , w i t h o r w i t hou t c om p e ns a t i on , a s

a l aw enforcement officer o r a s a fireman.

42 use 3796a.

42

use

3796b.

A D M I N I S T R A T I V E P R O V I S I O N S

S E C .

7 0 4. ( a ) T h e A d m i n i s t r a t i o n i s a u t h o r i z e d t o e s t a b l is h s u c h

r u l e s ,

r e gu l a t i o ns , a nd p r o c e d u r e s a s m a y be ne c e s s a r y t o c a r r y ou t t he

p u r p os e s o f t h i s p a r t . S uc h r u l e s , r e gu l a t i ons , a nd p r oc e du r e s w i l l be

de t e r m i na t i ve o f c on f l i c t o f l a w s i s s ue s a r i s i ng unde r t h i s p a r t . R u l e s ,

r e g u l a t i o n s , a n d p r o c e d u r e s i s s u e d u n d e r t h i s p a r t m a y i n c l u d e r e g u l a

t i o n s g o v e r n i n g t h e re c o g n i t i o n o f a g e n t s o r o t h e r p e r so n s r e p r e s e n t i n g

c l a i m a n t s u n d e r t h i s p a r t b e f o r e t h e A d m i n i s t r a t i o n . T h e A d m i n i s -

Rules and

regulations.

42

use

3796c.


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90 STAT. 1348

PUBLIC LAW 94-430—SEPT. 29, 1976

42

use

3768.

Appropriation

authorization.

42 use 3796

note.

Severability.

42 use 3796

note.

Effective date.

42 use 3796

note.

t r a t i o n m a y p r e s c r i b e t h e m a x i m u m fe es w h i c h m a y b e c h a r g e d f o r

s e r v i c e s j)erformed i n comiection w i t h a n y c l a i m u n d e r t h i s p a r t b e f o r e

t h e A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , a n d a n y a g r e e m e n t m v i o l a t i o n o f s u c h r u l e s a n d

r e gu l a t i ons s ha l l be vo i d .

( b ) I n m a k i n g d e t e r m i n a t i o n s u n d e r se c ti on 7 0 1 , t h e A d m i n i s t r a

t i o n m a y u t i l i z e s u c h a d m i n i s t r a t i v e a n d i n v e s t i g a t i v e a s s i s t a n c e a s

m a y be a va i l a b l e f r om S t a t e a n d loc a l a ge nc i e s . R e s p o ns i b i l i t y f o r

m a k i n g f i n a l d e t e r m i n a t i o n s s h a l l r e s t w i t h t h e A d m i n i s t r a t i o n . .

M I S C E L L A N E O U S P R O V I S I O N S

SEC. 3 . S e c t i on 520 o f t he O m ni b us C r i m e C o n t r o l a n d S a f e S t r e e t s

A c t o f 1968 , a s a m e nd e d , i s a m e nd e d by a d d i ng a t t he e nd thei-eof t he

following new

su b se c t i o n :

( c ) T h e r e a r e a u t h o r i z e d t o be a p p r op r i a t e d i n e a c h fisc al yea i-

s uc h s um s a s m a y be ne c e s s a r y t o c a r r y ou t t he p u r p os e s o f p a r t J . .

SEC.

4. T h e a u t h o r i t y t o m a k e p a y m e n t s u n d e r p a r t J o f t h e O m n i

bus C r i m e C on t r o l a nd S a f e S t r e e t s A c t o f 1968 ( a s a dde d by s e c t i on

2 of th i s A c t ) sha l l be e f fec t ive on ly to th e ex ten t p ro vi de d for in

a d v a n c e b y a p p r o p r i a t i o n A c t s .

SEC. 5 . I f t he p r ov i s i ons o f a n y p a r t o f t h i s A c t a r e f ound i nva l i d ,

t he p r ov i s i ons o f t he o t he r p a r t s a nd t he i r a p p l i c a t i on t o o t he r p e r s ons

o r c i r c um s t a n c e s s ha l l no t be a f fe c te d t he r e b y .

SEC. 6 . T he a m e ndm e n t s m a de by t h i s A c t s ha l l be c om e e f f e c t i ve a nd

a p p l y t o de a t h s oc c u r r i ng f r om i n j u r i e s s u s t a i ne d on o r a f t e r t he d a t e

o f e na c t m e n t o f t h i s A c t .

A p p r o v e d S e p t e m b e r 2 9 , 1 9 7 6 .

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

HOUSE REPO RTS: No. 94 -10 32 (eomm. on the Judiciary) and No. 94- 15 01 (eomm. of

eonference).

SENATE REPORTS: No. 94- 81 6 (eomm. on the Judiciary) and No. 94-8 25 accompany

ing S. 230 (eomm. on the Judiciary).

eONGRESSIONAL REeO RD, V ol. 122 (1976):

Apr. 30, considered and passed House.

July 19, considered and passed Senate, amended.

Sept. 15, House agreed to conference report.

Sept. 16, Senate agreed to conference report.

WEEKLY eOMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOeUMENTS, Vol. 12, No. 40:

Sept. 29, Presidential statement.

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STATUTE-90-Pg1346 Ley Pública 94-430 29 Sept 1976