# 119-s-3897: Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program Expansion Act of 2026

119-s-3897, Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program Expansion Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY); status passed_senate; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-24).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3897
- As of: 2026-10-24
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3897
- Congress: 119
- Title: Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program Expansion Act of 2026
- Status: passed_senate
- Introduced: 2026-02-24
- Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY)
- Cosponsors: 14
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-24

## Summary

**Speeds and stabilizes death benefit payments** for public safety officers by forcing quicker decisions, allowing time‑bound interim payments, adding subpoena authority, and requiring GAO‑driven program fixes. The law also creates a presumptive approval path tied to Victim Compensation Fund and World Trade Center Health Program certifications and fixes definition and cross‑reference errors to improve eligibility clarity. - Families of fallen officers: Families can receive interim death payments if a final determination is not issued within 270 days, and the program must notify claimants of missing information within 90 days. - Claimants and disabled officers: Claimants, including disabled officers, get expanded outreach to underserved agencies and a presumptive, expedited approval path when the Victim Compensation Fund or World Trade Center Health Program certifies eligibility. - Program managers and agencies: The Bureau gains subpoena power to obtain needed records from public agencies, the Comptroller General must audit claims older than one year, and the Attorney General must ensure GAO recommendations are implemented within 180 days.

## Cosponsors (14)

- Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX), 2026-02-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2026-04-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-04-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC] (R-SC), 2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC), 2026-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2026-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2026-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] (R-ME), 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Faster approval for 9/11‑related claims: benefit, medium. If your claim is certified by the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund for death benefits, the Bureau would presume approval. The same presumption would apply if the World Trade Center Health Program certifies the death as related. The Bureau would be able to overturn this only with clear and co…
- Faster benefits and interim checks for officers: benefit, medium. The Bureau of Justice Assistance would have to tell you what is missing within 90 days after you file. After it has all required information, it would have 270 days to issue a decision. If it misses that deadline, it would make one interim payment, paid to undisputed beneficiaries or into escrow if…
- Annual audits and backlog reports for benefits: benefit, low. The Government Accountability Office would audit claims pending more than one year, every year. Audits would review where cases stand, why they are delayed, use of subpoenas, and outreach and assistance. Within 30 days after it posts a report, the Bureau would send backlog summaries to Congress. Wi…
- Clarifies 'gainful work' for disability claims: mixed, low. The bill would define “gainful work” by using the definition in 28 C.F.R. § 32.23. This would guide who qualifies for disability benefits and when payments continue. Tying the term to regulation could either expand or narrow eligibility in future updates.

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.
- 119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for the State of California.
- 119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States Senator for the State of Idaho.

## Sources
- [119-s-3897 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3897)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-739)
- [119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-723)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3897 (as of 2026-10-24).