Public Safety Officer Support Act
August 2, 2022
The United States Senate passed H.R. 6943,
the Public Safety Officer Support Act, last night. The House passed this bill on May 18, so it is now on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law. We wish to thank NAPO for all their work on this bill.
Once enacted, the Public Safety Officer Support Act will make post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) a line of duty injury under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program and ensure that officers who suffer from PTSD and those who take or attempt to take their own life as a result of on-duty trauma will be eligible under the program. The bill would also cover officers who die by trauma-linked suicide by directing the PSOB Program to presume that suicides are a result of job duties in certain circumstances, such as a mass casualty event, where there is evidence that PTSD would be caused by the trauma.
The Police Conference of New York is pleased with the passage of the Public Safety Officer Support Act but there other legislative priorities heading to the House of Representatives. We will continue to work with other state and national organization to represent our members.
