This bill significantly amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand public safety officer benefits, specifically addressing exposure-related cancers. Its primary purpose is to provide benefits for public safety officers diagnosed with certain cancers, recognizing them as potential line-of-duty injuries or deaths. The legislation establishes a presumption that an exposure to a carcinogen resulting in an exposure-related cancer is a personal injury sustained in the line of duty if specific criteria are met. These include the officer serving at least five years, being diagnosed within 15 years of their last active service, and the cancer directly causing death or permanent disability. This presumption can be rebutted by competent medical evidence. The bill initially covers a comprehensive list of cancers, including: bladder cancer brain cancer breast cancer lung cancer prostate cancer any form of cancer considered a WTC-related health condition The Director of the Bureau is mandated to periodically review and update this list based on competent medical evidence, and individuals can petition for new cancers to be added. These amendments apply retroactively to claims for deaths or disabilities occurring on or after January 1, 2020 , and allow a three-year window from the bill's enactment for filing such claims. Additionally, the bill broadens confidentiality protections for information provided to the Office of Justice Programs, making these changes effective as if enacted in December 1979, and clarifies the definition of "line of duty action" under the Safeguarding America's First Responders Act of 2020, applying this clarification retroactively.
CancerCongressional oversightDisability assistanceGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementGovernment information and archivesLaw enforcement officersWorker safety and health
Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025
USA119th CongressS-237| Senate
| Updated: 5/20/2025
This bill significantly amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand public safety officer benefits, specifically addressing exposure-related cancers. Its primary purpose is to provide benefits for public safety officers diagnosed with certain cancers, recognizing them as potential line-of-duty injuries or deaths. The legislation establishes a presumption that an exposure to a carcinogen resulting in an exposure-related cancer is a personal injury sustained in the line of duty if specific criteria are met. These include the officer serving at least five years, being diagnosed within 15 years of their last active service, and the cancer directly causing death or permanent disability. This presumption can be rebutted by competent medical evidence. The bill initially covers a comprehensive list of cancers, including: bladder cancer brain cancer breast cancer lung cancer prostate cancer any form of cancer considered a WTC-related health condition The Director of the Bureau is mandated to periodically review and update this list based on competent medical evidence, and individuals can petition for new cancers to be added. These amendments apply retroactively to claims for deaths or disabilities occurring on or after January 1, 2020 , and allow a three-year window from the bill's enactment for filing such claims. Additionally, the bill broadens confidentiality protections for information provided to the Office of Justice Programs, making these changes effective as if enacted in December 1979, and clarifies the definition of "line of duty action" under the Safeguarding America's First Responders Act of 2020, applying this clarification retroactively.
CancerCongressional oversightDisability assistanceGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementGovernment information and archivesLaw enforcement officersWorker safety and health