FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 28, 2012
CONTACT: Ian Koski at 202-224-4216

Senator Coons votes to strengthen support for injured first responders

Amendment, which passed Wednesday evening with broad, bipartisan support, strengthens program that supports emergency responders injured or killed in the line of duty

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, applauded passage on Wednesday evening of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strengthen and improve the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program. The PSOB provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders, and disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty.  

The amendment, which extends these benefits to paramedics and emergency medical technicians, and makes other changes to strengthen and improve the program, passed by a vote of 85-11 and will become a part of the final NDAA to be voted on by the Senate.

“Our first responders are on the front lines of our community, keeping our families safe every day,” Senator Coons said. “While others try to avoid danger, they run straight for it, and tragically, sometimes that results in injury or loss of life. We owe it to our courageous first responders to ensure that if they are injured, they will receive the benefits they have earned, and if they are killed in the line of duty, their families will be well taken care of.”

The amendment is based on legislation authored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and co-sponsored by Senator Coons to address gaps in the existing PSOB program that have left some first responders without benefits when they are injured or killed in the line of duty. This amendment will fill in those gaps and make additional needed improvements to the administration of the program.