“America’s public safety officers are out on the frontlines of this pandemic keeping America up and running as best they can,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell.
President Donald J. Trump has signed the National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act into law. Proceeds from the sale of the commemorative coin will help endow programs and exhibits at the Museum.
The measure also would require state and local governments to pass similar standards for their police agencies or face a cutoff of federal law enforcement aid.
The United States Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to ensure that the fund to compensate victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks remain funded through 2092, effectively making the federal financial support permanent for those affected by the event.
Following Tuesday's emotional testimony by cancer-stricken 9/11 first responders and comedian Jon Stewart, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed a bill Wednesday to extend funding for the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund.
According to the website for California Representative Norma Torres—who is a co-sponsor of the bill along with Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina—the proposed legislation seeks to reclassify communications officers nationally from a non-protective service occupation to a protective one in the Standard Occupational Classification system, giving dispatchers recognition as first responders.
One of the 9/11 first responders who attended the hearing was retired NYPD Det. Luis Alvarez. The cancer-stricken bomb tech told the representatives that he would be returning to New York after the hearing for his 69th round of chemotherapy. "I should not be here with you, but you made me come," he said.
The United States Senate has unanimously passed legislation authored by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) to improve access to assistance for first responders permanently disabled in the line of duty.
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Representative Ted Poe (R-TX) announced on Wednesday that they have introduced the Back the Blue Act, which would increase the penalties for criminals who intentionally target law enforcement officers, and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.
Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill last week dubbed the "Supporting and Treating Officers in Crisis Act" aimed at preventing police officer suicides.