Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program Expansion Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
In Committee
Summary
Speeds decisions on death and disability benefits for public safety officers and their families. It sets firm claim timelines, creates capped interim payments, gives the Bureau subpoena power to obtain records, and tightens program definitions to reduce delays.
Show full summary
- Families of fallen officers: Creates an expedited death-benefit path when the Victim Compensation Fund or World Trade Center Health Program certifies eligibility. The Bureau must issue a determination within 270 days of a complete claim or provide a capped interim payment, and the law preserves existing dependent educational benefits.
- Injured officers and disability claimants: Establishes a new permanent partial disability benefit that pays half the amount of a total disability award for certain cases. It also authorizes an interim payment up to $6,000 when a benefit is likely.
- Agencies and program accountability: Gives the Bureau subpoena authority to compel information from public agencies if records are not provided within 30 days. It requires Government Accountability Office audits for claims outstanding more than one year and other annual accountability steps.
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
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
New benefit for partial disability
This bill would create a new payment for officers who are permanently but not totally disabled from an on-duty injury. The payment would equal one-half of the full permanent-and-total benefit amount as of the injury date. If the officer becomes permanently and totally disabled within 3 years, the officer could get the remaining amount minus what was already paid. If the officer later dies from the same injury, any death payment would be reduced by the partial benefit already paid.
Faster survivor payments and interim help
This bill would require the Bureau to tell you if a complete claim is approved or denied within 270 days. The Bureau would have to send a single interim payment if it misses that deadline, and it could make a separate need-based interim payment up to $6,000 before final action. The Bureau would have to tell claimants about missing documents within 90 days. If the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund or the World Trade Center Health Program certifies a death, the Bureau would have to approve the PSOB death claim unless there is clear and convincing contrary evidence.
Stronger program oversight and outreach
This bill would require the Attorney General to make the Bureau implement the GAO report recommendations within 180 days of enactment. The Bureau would also have to do ongoing outreach to public safety organizations, disabled officers, underserved agencies, and families of fallen officers. The bill would require more reporting and audits of older or backlogged claims.
No change to dependent education benefits
This bill would make clear that it does not expand or change dependents' educational benefits. Current eligibility rules and benefit amounts for dependent students would remain the same under the law.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
TX • R
Sponsored 2/24/2026
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 4/21/2026
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 4/21/2026
Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
SC • R
Sponsored 5/13/2026
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 5/14/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov