,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfjg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #e1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,grassley 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,booker1 ,mr4 ,cruz1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1  
,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,daines1
 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,scott of      
,florida1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mrs4         
,loeffler1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4       
,moran1 ,mr4 ,schumer1 and ,ms4         
,collins7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to extend public safety officer
 death benefits to public safety        
officers whose death is caused by       
,,covid-#ai1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,safeguarding ,america's ,first 
,responders ,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,sense  
of ,congress2 purpose  7a7 ,sense of    
,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress 
that-- 7#a7 an infectious disease       
pandemic known as ,,covid-#ai exists2   
7#b7 to date1 there is much still       

unknown about ,,covid-#ai1 but it is    
known that ,,covid-#ai and related      
complications may be fatal2  7#c7       
services provided by public safety      
officers are nonetheless essential      
during this pandemic2  7#d7 due to the  
,,covid-#ai pandemic and what is        
currently known about how the disease is
 spread1 public safety officers are     
uncharacteristically at risk of         
contracting the disease2 and  7#e7      
although the ,public ,safety ,officers' 
,benefits program currently covers      
deaths resulting from infectious disease
 sustained by public safety officers in 
carrying out their duties1 the          
determination of claims may be uniquely 
challenging or delayed given the lack   
of-- 7,a7 definitive testing and medical
 records at this time2 and  7,b7 a      
definitive uniform body of medical      
information about how the disease is    
spread or its effects4  7b7 ,purpose    
,the purpose of this ,act is to         
establish a carefully drawn framework   

wherein claims under the ,public ,safety
 ,officers' ,benefits program1 arising  
under the unique circumstances described
 in subsection 7a71 can be processed    
expeditiously and under fair and clear  
standards4  #c4 ,public ,safety ,officer
 ,benefits ,as determined by the ,bureau
 of ,justice ,assistance1 unless        
competent medical evidence establishes  
that the death of a public safety       
officer 7as defined in section #abjd of 
title ,i of the ,omnibus ,crime ,control
 and ,safe ,streets ,act of #aifh 7#cd  
,u4,s4,c4 #ajbhd77 was directly and     
proximately caused by something other   
than ,,covid-#ai1 ,,covid-#ai 7or       
complications therefrom7 suffered by the
 public safety officer shall be presumed
 to constitute a personal injury within 
the meaning of section #abja7;a7 of     
title ,i of the ,omnibus ,crime ,control
 and ,safe ,streets ,act of #aifh 7#cd  
,u4,s4,c4 #ajbha7;a771 sustained in the 
line of duty by the officer and directly
 and proximately resulting in death1    

if-- 7#a7 the officer engaged in a line 
of duty action or activity between      
,january #a1 #bjbj1 and ,december #ca1  
#bjba2  7#b7 the officer was diagnosed  
with ,,covid-#ai 7or evidence indicates 
that the officer had ,,covid-#ai7 during
 the #de-;day period beginning on the   
last day of duty of the officer2 and    
7#c7 evidence indicates that the officer
 had ,,covid-#ai 7or complications      
therefrom7 at the time of the officer's 
death4