Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
Introduced
Summary
Faster, more reliable benefits for public safety officers and their families are the focus of this bill. It creates deadlines, interim payments, and a new partial‑disability benefit to speed claims and reduce harm when decisions take too long.
Show full summary
- Public safety officers: Adds a partial disability benefit that pays one‑half of the full benefit the officer would have received on the date of injury when they cannot do gainful work as an officer. It also authorizes an interim payment up to $6,000 (adjusted) while a final disability decision is pending.
- Families and survivors: Clarifies how partial disability payments offset death benefits and identifies who can receive interim payments immediately, either undisputed eligible beneficiaries or an escrow/fiduciary when eligibility is unsettled. It also preserves existing limits on educational and dependent benefits.
- Claims process, agencies, and oversight: Establishes a structured process with a notice for missing information and a 270‑day decision deadline for complete claims, plus interim benefits if that deadline is missed. The bill requires outreach to underserved agencies, annual backlog audits by the Comptroller General, subpoena authority to obtain records, and directs the Attorney General to implement GAO recommendations within 180 days.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
New partial disability payment
This bill would create a partial permanent disability benefit for officers who cannot do any gainful work as a public safety officer. The partial benefit would equal one-half of the amount that would have been payable on the injury date, with standard adjustments. If the condition becomes totally disabling within 3 years, the officer could apply for the full benefit and earlier payments would reduce the total. Any death benefit later paid would be reduced by partial payments already given.
Faster decisions and interim pay
This bill would require the Bureau to decide a complete claim within 270 calendar days. If the Bureau misses 270 days, it would make one interim payment that counts against any final award. The Bureau would have to tell claimants or agencies what is missing within 90 days. The Bureau could also make a separate urgent interim payment up to $6,000 before final action.
Faster approval with certified death claims
This bill would require the Bureau to approve a death-benefit claim when the Victim Compensation Fund or the World Trade Center Health Program certifies eligibility, unless there is clear and convincing evidence the certification is wrong. This is meant to speed claims that already have those federal certifications.
Dependent education benefits unchanged
This bill would state that nothing in the Act expands or changes education benefits available to dependents under the existing law. If you are a student dependent, current benefits would remain the same and would not be increased by this bill.
More oversight, subpoenas, and outreach
This bill would require annual GAO audits of claims older than one year and make the Bureau implement GAO fixes within 180 days. The Bureau would have subpoena power to get agency records if an agency does not provide them in 30 days, with a possible 60-day extension. The Bureau would be required to do ongoing outreach, including to disabled officers and families of fallen officers. The Bureau must send a short summary to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees within 30 days after the main report. Reports must say whether delays were caused by claimants or by uncooperative agencies. The bill also clarifies the Bureau can still deny ineligible claims and follow single-beneficiary payment rules.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
TX • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/25/2026
Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]
NY • R
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
NY • R
Sponsored 4/14/2026
Mannion
NY • D
Sponsored 4/14/2026
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/20/2026
Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
NJ • R
Sponsored 5/11/2026
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
NY • D
Sponsored 5/11/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov