{"format":1,"id":"117-hr-6943","congress":117,"number":"H.R. 6943","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022","title_source":"Short Titles as Enacted","official_title":"To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize public safety officer death benefits to officers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize public safety officer death benefits to officers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed Senate","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 117-172","introduced":"2022-03-07","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2022-05-18","vote":{"id":"117-2022-h223","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Public Safety Officer Support Act","result":"Passed","yea":402,"nay":17,"present":0,"not_voting":9,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll223.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2022-08-01","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S3826)"}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2022-08-16"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 117-172.","date":"2022-08-16"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2022-08-16","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022"},{"k":"p","t":"This act extends death and disability benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program to certain public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who suffer or suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, or trauma and stress-related disorders following an exposure to one or more traumatic events while on duty. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who die or become disabled as a direct and proximate result of a personal injury in the line of duty."},{"k":"p","t":"The act specifies that post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, or trauma and stress-related disorders suffered by a public safety officer following an exposure to a traumatic event while on duty constitutes a personal injury in the line of duty if exposure to the traumatic event was a substantial factor in the disorder."},{"k":"p","t":"Further, for the purposes of death and disability benefits, the act creates a presumption that an officer's death or permanent disability was directly caused by a personal injury in the line of duty if the officer took an action intended to bring about his or her death and exposure to a traumatic event was a substantial factor in that action or that action occurred within 45 days of an exposure and was consistent with a psychiatric disorder."},{"k":"p","t":"Finally, the act requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the details of benefits issued pursuant to this act, including recommendations to improve the PSOB program."}],"words":257},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program so that post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, or trauma and stress related disorders following on-duty exposure to traumatic events can qualify as a personal injury sustained in the line of duty.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#HAE3F8D6BA0FF4FD89DAD61B5F668EBD4:~:text=3.%20Public%20safety%20officer%20death%20benefits%20for"}]},"core_areas":["Public Safety Officers' Benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, and trauma and stress related disorders","Presumption of line-of-duty death or permanent and total disability after an action intended to cause death","Government Accountability Office reporting on benefits issued"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Defines a traumatic event as a homicide, suicide, or violent or gruesome death of another individual; a harrowing circumstance posing extraordinary and significant danger to life or of serious bodily harm; or an act of criminal sexual violence.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#HAE3F8D6BA0FF4FD89DAD61B5F668EBD4:~:text=3.%20Public%20safety%20officer%20death%20benefits%20for"}},{"text":"Provides that, as determined by the Bureau, a diagnosed stress disorder is presumed to be a personal injury sustained in the line of duty if the officer was exposed on duty to one or more traumatic events and the exposure was a substantial factor.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#HAE3F8D6BA0FF4FD89DAD61B5F668EBD4:~:text=3.%20Public%20safety%20officer%20death%20benefits%20for"}},{"text":"Presumes death or permanent and total disability resulted from a line-of-duty injury if the officer took an action intended to cause death, and either traumatic exposure was a substantial factor or the action came within 45 days of exposure and was not inconsistent with a psychiatric disorder.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#HAE3F8D6BA0FF4FD89DAD61B5F668EBD4:~:text=3.%20Public%20safety%20officer%20death%20benefits%20for"}},{"text":"Provides that the existing limit on benefits for intentional actions does not apply to claims payable under the new subsection, and that the existing substance use limit does not preclude payment of a benefit otherwise payable under it.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#HAE3F8D6BA0FF4FD89DAD61B5F668EBD4:~:text=3.%20Public%20safety%20officer%20death%20benefits%20for"}},{"text":"Makes the changes effective on the date of enactment, applying to matters pending on that date or filed or accruing after it, and applies the death-or-disability presumption to actions taken on or after January 1, 2019.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#HAE3F8D6BA0FF4FD89DAD61B5F668EBD4:~:text=3.%20Public%20safety%20officer%20death%20benefits%20for"}},{"text":"Requires the Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress within 1 year after enactment detailing benefits issued under the new subsection and including any recommendations to improve it.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#H5515FE9A80A647A0BAC57CEC883B35E0:~:text=5.%20GAO%20report"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"off_subject","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#HD729A01ABB6D43288132735645B4B841:~:text=4.%20Technical%20fixes"},"heading":"Technical fixes","effect":"Amends Section 806 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to change subpoena, hearing officer and hearing authority, extending it to duties under any law administered by or under the Office, and amends the definitions section.","amount":null,"quote":"necessary or convenient to assist them in carrying out their respective powers and duties under any law administered by or under the Office"}]},{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr#HAE3F8D6BA0FF4FD89DAD61B5F668EBD4:~:text=3.%20Public%20safety%20officer%20death%20benefits%20for"},"heading":"Public safety officer death benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, or trauma and stress related disorders","effect":"Sets an exception to the general retroactive-application rule: for actions by an officer described in the new paragraph (3) of section 1201(o) (actions intended to bring about the officer's death), the amendments apply only to actions on or after January 1, 2019.","amount":null,"quote":"The amendments made by this section shall apply to any action taken by a public safety officer described in paragraph (3) of section 1201(o)"}]}],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6943/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-hr-6943.png","v":"72f7e5fc3e99","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 6943, 117th Congress: Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022. House: 402 Yea, 17 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Became law, 16 Aug 2022."}}