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Constituent Corner

· New Grant for Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program

I am pleased to announce that The Department of Justice has made some improvements to the Public Safety Officer’s Benefits (PSOB) Program. This program continues to provide one-time payments to eligible survivors of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty. It also provides benefits to officers who are permanently disabled from injuries suffered in the line of duty, and makes their families eligible to receive financial assistance for higher education.

Recently, the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act of 2003, was added to PSOB and expands this program to cover certain circumstances under which public safety officer deaths resulting from heart attacks and strokes may be covered.

Additionally, since each case is required to be reviewed by an independent physician, PSOB has increased the number of medical specialists that will be available to review cases. The Department has also increased the number of PSOB hearing officers. All of this should reduce the time needed to process PSOB claims and improve the general handling of each case.

For more information and applications, please visit the new streamlined PSOB information sources at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psob/psob_main.html.

· Nutrition and Exercise Program

During the summer months, The University of Illinois Extension, www.extension.uiuc.edu, offers programs to help keep our youth healthy and fit. Approximately 15 percent of children (ages 6-11) and 16 percent of adolescents (ages 12-19) were considered overweight in 2000. The University of Illinois Extension in White County is confronting this problem by offering this “fitness club” for both kids and adults, meeting every weekday evening. And in Franklin County, they are conducting a daily summer lunch program including nutrition and exercise.

In other counties, these nutrition lessons are built into pre-existing programs. In Edwards and Wabash Counties, they are adding nutrition to the Wabash Area Development Incorporated Family Jamboree and the Grayville Arts Council Camp. And in Saline County, the program is being added to the summer reading programs at public libraries.

I encourage you to make nutrition and exercise a part of all of your lives and start your kids early down the path to a long and healthy life. For more information regarding these programs, please contact Carol Schlitt at (618)692-9434, or via e-mail at cschlitt@uiuc.edu; or Martha Winter at (618)242-9310, or via e-mail at mjwinter@uiuc.edu.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Tuesday, September 13th, Rodney Davis of my Springfield district office will be available to help the residents of Assumption and Stewardson. In Assumption, he will be at the Assumption Village Hall at 229 N. Chestnut Street from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. In Stewardson, he will be in the Stewardson Community Center at 108 South Pine Street from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Appointments are not necessary, so feel free to drop by at any time. For more information, please visit my web page at http://www.house.gov/shimkus/helpdesk.htm. I hope you stop in to see us!

Anticipated Action on the House Floor

· Congress will be in recess for the month of August. For more info on the House legislative schedule as we get closer to September keep an eye on the Office of the Clerk’s web site: http://clerk.house.gov/legisAct/index.html.

Did You Know?

· Back to School

As we wind down the summer and begin to think about the upcoming school year, there are many things to think about, from vaccination requirements to financial aid applications. For answers to any of your questions, from kindergarten to college, please visit www.FirstGov.gov. If you would rather, you can also speak with someone toll-free at 1(800)FED-INFO, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Thank you for your interest in my newsletter! Remember to tell your friends about it as well--they can sign up on my web page at http://www.house.gov/shimkus.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Shimkus

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