PAX Centurion - April / June 2016

Page 56 • PAX CENTURION • April-May-June 2016 617-989-BPPA (2772) The Washington Report NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POLICE OFFICERS • JUNE 13, 2016 Senate Judiciary Committee Approves PSOB Reform Bill I n a victory for NAPO. the Senate Judiciary Committee amended and approved the Public Safety Officers” Benefits (PSOB) Improvement Act of 2016 (S. 2944) on June 9 th . The bill, introduced by Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). would tackle the issues of transparency and the timeliness of case determinations within the PSOB program. Importantly, it would restore the “substantial weight” standard that requires PSOB to give substantial weight to the findings of federal, state, and local agencies as to the cause of the public safety officer’s death or disability and it would require weekly and biannual public reports on the status of claims. During Committee consideration of the PSOB Improvement Act. NAPO pushed for and supported four amendments to the bill, all of which were unanimously adopted by the Committee. NAPO felt strongly that these amendments were necessary to more fullv address our concerns with the PSOB program. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) offered an amendment that was a top priority for NAPO because it would return ihe PSOB program to a presumptive benefit, putting the onus on the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that an officer’s death or disability was not in the line of duty or was due lo gross negligence. Currently, that onus is on the disabled officer or grieving loved ones, which is unacceptable and goes against the original intent of the program. Hie other three NAPO endorsed amendments were offered by Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT), two of which address concerns NAPO has with current PSOB policy regarding (he education benefit age limitation and the program’s new abandonment policy. Hie third amendment would ensure that the provisions of the bill would be applied retroactively. The first amendment offered by Senator Leahy would extend the current age limitation for children to receive the PSOB education benefits when the underlying benefit claim or education application is approved more than one year after it was filed. This would ensure that children of fallen or disabled public safety officers would still be eligible for education benefits if an adjudication delay causes them to age out of benefit eligibility before their claim is approved. The second amendment would ensure that the BJA uses all of its authorities including its existing subpoena authority to obtain necessary documentation from third parties before considering a claim abandoned. Under current policy, the BJA seems loo willing to consider a claim abandoned after one year of inactivity without putting in the effort necessary to finalize the claim. Finally, the third amendment aims to ensure that all of these provisions, which aim to ensure that the families and survivors of public safety officers receive the benefits they deserve, will apply retroactively to those claimants who are currently waiting some for years to have their cases determined. With a backlog of over 1,000 cases within the PSOB program, it is essential that the provisions of the PSOB Improvement Act apply to both claims that are currently pending as well as future claims. NAPO thanks Senators Grassley, Gillibrand, Leahy and Cornyn for their leadership on this important issue and we look forward to working with them lo move this bill through the Senate. In addition to working to move the PSOB Improvement Act and Ihe HERO Benefits ReformAct (H.R. 5123). NAPO will continue our discussions with theAdministration and PSOB leadership to find a way to ensure the PSOB program is processing and deciding claims in a timely manner and that the process is transparent and straightforward for those who have lost their loved ones or have become seriously disabled in the line of duty. We will keep our members up to date on the status of the legislation. If you have any questions about the PSOB Program or the PSOB Improvement Act please contact Andy Edmiston at aedmiston@napo.org NAPO in the News O n May 26 th , NAPO’s Executive Director Bill Johnson was quoted in a LifeZette.com article. “Media Perplexed by Cities’ Violent CrimeWave: Blind lo link between anti-cop rhetoric, de- policing, and spike in criminal activity.” The article focuses on the notion that the reason for the rise in violent crimes cities like Chicago are currently facing are that police are no longer actively policing for fear of becoming the next viral video in this time of heightened anti- law enforcement sentiment. “It has been labeled the Ferguson effect,”’ said Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “I think it’s real ... There’s a sense of second thoughts. Some are thinking. ‘Do I really want to do this if I don’t have to?”’ The article goes on to place full blame on the Obama Administration for fostering the toxic environment for police by its reactions to Ferguson and Baltimore and by not standing up and speaking out in support of America’s law enforcement. The full article is available at: https://www.lifezette.com/polizette/ media-perplexed-cities-violent-crime-rise NAPO will continue to ensure our members’ voices are heard loud and clear on the Hill, with theAdministration, and in the media. If you have any questions about the publication cited above, please contact Bill Johnson at: bjohnson@napo.org NAPO Presses President and AG Again to Prioritize Extradition of Cop-Killers from Cuba O n June 9 th , NAPO Executive Director Bill Johnson sent a letter to President Baraek Obama andAttorney General Loretta Lynch regarding the urgent need to include the extradition of violent criminals as part of the United States reopening of diplomatic relations with Cuba. We received a reply to our original March 22 nd letter onApril 26 th fromVaughnAry, the Director of the Office of International Affairs within the Department of Justice (DOJ). who is responsible for international extradition matters. In his letter, Mr. Ary states that