As of today, the National FOP has tracked more than 500 line-of-duty deaths due to COVID-19. In September of 2020, President Trump signed the Safeguarding Americas First Responders Act into law, which established a statutory presumption at the Federal level that law enforcement or other public safety officers who die or become disabled from COVID-19 or related complications did so because they sustained a personal injury in the line of duty, provided that the officer “engaged in a line of duty action or activity” between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021.  

At the Federal level, this presumption, established by law, ensures that these officers or their surviving family members are eligible for the benefits provided by the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program. Therefore, the only thing the agency has to verify is that the officer was actively working and “engaged in a line of duty action or activity” between 1/1/2020 and 12/31/2021. NOTE: The Federal Presumption is set to expire on 31 December 2021. 

At the State level, some States, though not all, did establish similar presumptions. We recommend that you check with your State and local governments to verify the date your State’s presumption expires, if it has not already expired. 

Below you’ll find more information about the PSOB program. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the National FOP Legislative Office at 202-547-8189.