# Protecting America's First Responders Act of 2021

This bill makes it easier for police officers, firefighters, and emergency responders to get federal financial help when they're permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. It also expands who qualifies for these benefits and increases the amounts they receive.

The main changes involve the federal death and disability benefits program that's been around since 1968. Right now, when a first responder dies or becomes permanently disabled on the job, their family can receive $250,000 from the federal government. This bill increases the interim payment (money given while a claim is being processed) from $3,000 to $6,000. More importantly, if a claim takes longer than a year to process, the final payment gets bumped up to match what the benefit would be worth on the day the Bureau makes its decision—not just on the day the injury happened. This matters because benefits are adjusted for inflation each year, so someone waiting two years for approval could receive significantly more money.

The bill also makes it much easier to qualify as "permanently and totally disabled." It clarifies that this includes people with brain injuries that affect thinking and memory, not just physical injuries. It also says that if someone is blind, paralyzed from the waist down, or paralyzed from the neck down, they're automatically considered totally disabled unless there's very strong medical evidence otherwise. The bill protects people who do minimal work or therapeutic work—meaning they won't lose benefits just because they're doing light activities as part of recovery. Additionally, it covers first responders who act outside their normal jurisdiction during emergencies, like a police officer helping in a neighboring town during a crisis.

The bill also requires the federal government to work harder to process these claims. Instead of potentially abandoning difficult cases, the Bureau must use all available tools—including subpoenas—to gather necessary information before giving up on a claim. Finally, it guarantees that children of deceased first responders will receive educational assistance, and it creates a special two-year window for 9/11 responders to file new disability claims or reopen claims that were previously denied.

Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021

Pascrell, Bill

Protecting America's First Responders Act of 2021 This bill makes changes to the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty or permanently disabled as a result of catastrophic injuries sustained in the line of duty. Among the changes, the bill <ul> <li>expands the public safety officers eligible for coverage under the PSOB program to include firefighters whose primary duty during an emergency response is to secure the scene or manage traffic and cadets or trainees in candidate-officer training; </li> <li>extends coverage under the PSOB program to certain public safety officers responding outside their jurisdiction; </li> <li>increases the interim benefit amount payable on a claim for death benefits and requires the interim amount to be adjusted annually for inflation; </li> <li>increases the benefit amount payable on a death or disability claim that has been pending for more than 365 days on the date of the final determination; </li> <li>allows the Department of Justice (DOJ) to use investigative tools, including subpoenas, to expedite the processing of claims and obtain information or documentation from third parties (e.g., public agencies); </li> <li>specifies that an injury resulting from a neurocognitive disorder qualifies as a catastrophic injury for the purposes of disability benefits; </li> <li>requires (currently, authorizes) DOJ to provide retroactive education benefits to qualifying children and spouses; </li> <li>specifies that hearing officers appointed to review claims are special government employees (i.e., employees who perform temporary duties for a limited period of time) and are authorized to conduct examinations; and </li> <li>allows responders to the World Trade Center or their surviving family members to file claims for death or disability benefits in certain circumstances.</li> </ul>