Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§15204 Definitions

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 145— - PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER MEDAL OF VALOR AND TRIBUTES › § 15204

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Says who counts as a public safety officer and what “State” covers. A public safety officer is a person serving a public agency, paid or unpaid, as a firefighter, a law‑enforcement officer (this includes corrections, court, and civil‑defense officers), or an emergency‑services officer. “State” means every U.S. State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §15204

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In this chapter:
(1)The term “public safety officer” means a person serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or emergency services officer, as determined by the Attorney General. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “law enforcement officer” includes a person who is a corrections or court officer or a civil defense officer.
(2)The term “State” means each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in introductory provisions, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 107–12, May. 30, 2001, 115 Stat. 20, known as the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 15201 of this title and Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 15204

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73