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119-s-2078119th CongressWALLET

Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act

Sponsored By: Senator Fetterman, John [D-PA]

Introduced

Summary

Creates a uniform federal death gratuity program for employees killed in the line of duty. The bill would standardize who qualifies, extend coverage to deaths abroad, and raise funeral-related payments for survivors.

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  • Families would receive a new Employee Death Gratuity set at $100,000 as a base, with the amount adjusted each March 1 using the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index. The bill sets a clear order of who gets the payment and allows payment to an estate if no survivors are eligible.
  • Households facing a federal line-of-duty death would see funeral expense assistance rise from $800 to $8,800, with annual adjustments tied to labor statistics. This change would apply to deaths covered when the law takes effect.
  • Federal employees serving overseas and service members would gain explicit agency-paid gratuities for line-of-duty deaths abroad and clarified rules on offsets so one federal death payment does not improperly reduce another. The bill would also authorize emergency supplemental appropriations for large incidents and require agencies to notify the Government Accountability Office within 15 business days with yearly GAO reporting and audits.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Bigger death payments for federal survivors

If enacted, agencies could pay a one-time $100,000 death gratuity to survivors of a federal employee killed on the job. The $100,000 base would increase each March 1 using the PCE price index. Payments would not be made if the death resulted from willful misconduct or the employee's intoxication. A signed, witnessed beneficiary form filed before death would control who gets the money. The bill would also raise the funeral payment from $800 to $8,800, with annual adjustments. An older legal authority for some death payments would be repealed.

More military death pay for survivors

If enacted, the military-related death gratuity amount would be adjusted each March 1 by the PCE price change. For deaths on or after enactment, agencies could not reduce that gratuity by other federal death payments for the same death. If the deceased has no eligible survivors and no alternate designee, payment would go to the estate's personal representative.

Emergency funding for death gratuities

If enacted, agencies could get emergency appropriations when disasters, terrorism, or other incidents stop them from paying death gratuities. The agency head and the OMB Director must agree funding is needed. Any additional payments would only happen if Congress provides money. The bill asks Congress to act on requests within 30 days.

Changes to Foreign Service death pay

If enacted, agencies would pay death gratuities for employees who die while on duty abroad under the chief of mission. The Labor Department must first find the death came from a qualifying injury. For deaths on or after enactment, a Foreign Service payment would be reduced by any payment under the new federal gratuity for the same death. Who gets money would follow the beneficiary order in the new federal rule.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Fetterman, John [D-PA]

PA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Hagerty, Bill [R-TN]

    TN • R

    Sponsored 6/12/2025

  • Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 6/12/2025

  • Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]

    MO • R

    Sponsored 6/12/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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