Short Title

This Act may be cited as the “Public Safety Officer Benefits Act of 2025”.

Findings and Purposes

(a) Findings — Congress finds that—

• public safety officers are at an increased risk of developing exposure-related cancers due to their hazardous duties;
• the Department of Justice has established a fund to provide benefits for certain law enforcement and fire personnel who have died or become disabled as a result of exposure-related cancers; and

(b) Purposes — The purposes of this Act are—

• to provide public safety officers with access to benefits for exposure-related cancers;
• to ensure that the Department of Justice has the necessary resources to administer the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program; and

Definitions

(a) In this Act, the following definitions apply—

• exposure-related cancer means any cancer that is determined by the Secretary to be caused by a hazardous duty performed in the line of employment as a public safety officer;
• line of duty action means—
  • an action in which a public safety officer engaged at the direction of the agency served by the public safety officer; or
  • the public safety officer is authorized or obligated to perform;

;

Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program

(a) Establishment — The Secretary shall establish a program to provide benefits for public safety officers who have died or become disabled as a result of an exposure-related cancer;

1. the program shall be administered by the Department of Justice;
2. the program shall provide eligible public safety officers with—
   • benefits equivalent to the total and permanent disability compensation payable under section 833 of title 5, United States Code, if such officer is deceased; or
   • benefits for lost wages, funeral expenses, and other expenses related to the death or disability of the public safety officer;

;

Eligibility

(a) Generally — A public safety officer shall be eligible for benefits under this program if—

1. the officer died or became disabled as a result of an exposure-related cancer;
2. the officer was engaged in line duty at the time of death or disability; and

;

(b) Determinations — The Secretary shall make determinations regarding eligibility for benefits under this program;

• such determinations shall be based on a review of—
  • the death certificate or other documentation verifying the cause and circumstances of death;

  ;

  • any medical records or reports related to the death or disability;

  ;

  • the public safety officer’s employment history and qualifications;

  ;

;

Effective Date

(a) Generally — This Act takes effect on the date that is—

1. one year after the date of enactment of this Act;

;

;

Regulations

(a) In general — The Secretary shall issue regulations implementing this part;

• the regulations shall be issued in accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States Code;

;

;

Administrative Provisions

(a) Authorization to make rules — The Secretary is authorized to make rules and regulations necessary for the administration of this Act;

• such rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States Code;

;

;

Miscellaneous

(a) Effective date of certain provisions — The following provisions shall take effect on the date that is—

1. one year after the date of enactment of this Act;

;

;

Definitions

(a) In this section, the following definitions apply—

• exposure-related cancer means any cancer that is determined by the Secretary to be caused by a hazardous duty performed in the line of employment as a public safety officer;

;

• line of duty action means—
  • an action in which a public safety officer engaged at the direction of the agency served by the public safety officer; or
  • the public safety officer is authorized or obligated to perform;

  ;

;