SENATOR COONS AND SEVERAL OTHERS INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT FIREFIGHTERS WITH SERVICE-RELATED CANCERS
In a collective effort to widen federal support for the families of fallen or critically ill firefighters and other first responders, U.S. Senators Chris Coons, Amy Klobuchar, and Kevin Cramer have reintroduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act.
This bipartisan legislation, which won unanimous approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee last year, is designed to extend the coverage of the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program.
Currently, the PSOB program provides benefits for first responders injured while in service and their families, but only for a specific range of injuries and illnesses. The proposed bill aims to expand this coverage to a broader group of first responders and their families.
"Firefighters are exposed to many life-threatening risks, and not all of them are as immediate as a heart attack. Yet the families who lose their loved ones to service-related cancers are just as deserving of benefits," Senator Coons said.
The new legislation seeks to close this loophole in the PSOB program, ensuring that families of those firefighters and first responders who have lost their lives or become permanently disabled due to service-related cancers get the benefits they are due.
Senator Klobuchar echoed Coons' sentiment, emphasizing that firefighters are exposed to hazardous carcinogens while in the line of duty, which can often result in lethal long-term health effects. She insisted that those who have passed from work-related cancer or become permanently disabled must receive the same treatment as those who died while on duty.
"Our first responders embody courage and selfless sacrifice. The exposure to dangerous carcinogens occurs on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear the burden alone," said Senator Cramer.
The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the family members of firefighters and first responders who have passed away due to cancer caused by their exposure to carcinogens while in service. The bill also extends disability benefits for first responders who become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.
The legislation was introduced in honor of Michael Paidar, a fire captain who lost his life to an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2020. Following concerted advocacy from the Paidar family, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to Captain Paidar's widow, Julie, in 2021.
This marked the first time the state's PSOB program granted benefits for cancer incurred while in service.
The new Act aims to ensure that firefighters and first responders nationwide can receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program.
In addition to Senators Coons, Klobuchar, and Cramer, a wide array of other senators, as well as several International Associations and Foundations, endorse this legislation.
This bipartisan legislation, which won unanimous approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee last year, is designed to extend the coverage of the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program.
Currently, the PSOB program provides benefits for first responders injured while in service and their families, but only for a specific range of injuries and illnesses. The proposed bill aims to expand this coverage to a broader group of first responders and their families.
"Firefighters are exposed to many life-threatening risks, and not all of them are as immediate as a heart attack. Yet the families who lose their loved ones to service-related cancers are just as deserving of benefits," Senator Coons said.
The new legislation seeks to close this loophole in the PSOB program, ensuring that families of those firefighters and first responders who have lost their lives or become permanently disabled due to service-related cancers get the benefits they are due.
Senator Klobuchar echoed Coons' sentiment, emphasizing that firefighters are exposed to hazardous carcinogens while in the line of duty, which can often result in lethal long-term health effects. She insisted that those who have passed from work-related cancer or become permanently disabled must receive the same treatment as those who died while on duty.
"Our first responders embody courage and selfless sacrifice. The exposure to dangerous carcinogens occurs on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear the burden alone," said Senator Cramer.
The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the family members of firefighters and first responders who have passed away due to cancer caused by their exposure to carcinogens while in service. The bill also extends disability benefits for first responders who become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.
The legislation was introduced in honor of Michael Paidar, a fire captain who lost his life to an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2020. Following concerted advocacy from the Paidar family, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to Captain Paidar's widow, Julie, in 2021.
This marked the first time the state's PSOB program granted benefits for cancer incurred while in service.
The new Act aims to ensure that firefighters and first responders nationwide can receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program.
In addition to Senators Coons, Klobuchar, and Cramer, a wide array of other senators, as well as several International Associations and Foundations, endorse this legislation.
