Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7718

Rep. Weber Introduces Bill to Speed Up Benefits for Injured First Responders

Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act of 2026

22 days ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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Key Points

The bill creates a new benefit for public safety officers who are permanently but not totally disabled from line-of-duty injuries. If an officer can no longer perform their public safety job, they receive half of the standard disability payment amount.
From policy text
“a benefit shall be payable to the public safety officer (if living on the date on which the determination is made) of half of the amount that would be payable, as of the date such injury was sustained”
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The Bureau of Justice Assistance must notify claimants of missing information within 90 days and make a final eligibility decision within 270 days. If the Bureau misses the 270-day deadline, it must issue an interim benefit payment automatically.
From policy text
“Not later than 90 calendar days after receiving a claim filed under this subpart, the Bureau shall notify the claimant or the relevant agency of any missing information required to process the claim.”
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If a local agency fails to provide necessary records within 30 days, the Bureau must issue a legal subpoena to force the agency to turn over the documents, with a possible 60-day extension.
From policy text
“shall issue a subpoena to the public agency to obtain the information or documentation, unless the Bureau has approved an extension not exceeding 60 days.”
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Families of 9/11 first responders get a faster path to death benefits. If the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund or the World Trade Center Health Program has already certified the facts, the Bureau must approve the claim unless there is clear and convincing evidence against it.
From policy text
“the Bureau shall, absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, as determined by the Bureau, approve any claim if the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001”
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The Comptroller General must conduct annual audits of claims that have been pending for more than one year, examining the reasons for delays, outreach effectiveness, and whether the Bureau is using its subpoena authority.
From policy text
“the Comptroller General shall conduct an audit of any pending claims under this part that were submitted to the Bureau more than 1 year before the date on which the audit is commenced, to identify programmatic challenges to the timely processing of death, disability, and educational assistance claims.”
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The Bureau must conduct ongoing outreach to make sure public safety officers and underserved agencies know about these benefits, including specific outreach for disabled officers and families of fallen officers.

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Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 25, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

180 days after enactment

Attorney General must implement GAO recommendations for the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program

Improvements to how claims are processed, including better transparency and assistance, must be in place within six months of the bill becoming law.

Upon enactment

Bureau begins enforcing 90-day missing information notices and 270-day decision deadlines

Families of fallen or injured officers should no longer face years-long waits for decisions. If the Bureau misses the deadline, interim payments kick in automatically.

Within one year of enactment

First annual GAO audit of backlogged claims begins

Government auditors will examine every claim pending for more than a year, shining a light on what's causing delays and whether outreach to disabled officers is working.

Related News

2 articles

Texas Border Business·20 days ago

Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Expand and Speed Up Public Safety Officers' Benefits

Sens. Ted Cruz and Kirsten Gillibrand introduced the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program Expansion Act of 2026. The bill aims to speed up benefit determinations and extend eligibility to officers who are permanently, but not totally, disabled.

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Brooklyn Eagle·20 days ago

Bipartisan bill would speed up benefit determinations for public safety officers

The legislation, named for Chief Michael Ansbro and Officer John Barnes, would amend the PSOB program to expedite determinations and extend benefits to permanently disabled officers currently excluded. It requires the BJA to make a determination within 270 days of receiving a complete claim.