WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today was joined by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in introducing the bipartisan Equity in Law Enforcement Act of 2014, which aims to expand the federal death benefits afforded to state and local law enforcement to include first responders who serve private institutions of higher education and rail carriers.  The bill would make these public safety officers eligible for the U.S. Department of Justice's Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program.

The federal PSOB program provides financial assistance to police, firefighters, and EMTs who are gravely injured on the job and a one-time benefit payment to the survivors of public safety officers who die as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty.  While some families of those officers serving at public universities have received line-of-duty death benefits through PSOB, the families of officers who were killed while serving at private colleges and universities have been ineligible.  This group notably includes the families of Patrol Officer Sean Collier of the MIT Police Department, who was killed on duty on April 18, 2013 during a manhunt in the wake of the April 15, 2013 Boston Bombing, and Patrol Officer Joseph Doyle, who died from injuries he sustained while making an arrest at Brown University in Rhode Island 26 years ago.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, over the last 50 years, 35 college or university law enforcement officers have lost their lives in the line of duty.

“These men and women are dedicated to protecting our communities.  They deserve not only our thanks for their service, but also the full benefits associated with law enforcement work,” said Reed, who has been working on this issue for more than a decade. “Every day they report for duty, these peace officers encounter the same safety risks as state and local law enforcement, but when tragedy strikes their sacrifice is not equal in the eyes of the law currently.  I am pleased Senator Ayotte has joined me in introducing legislation to help remedy this discrepancy and better ensure that all officers who protect and serve have access to the protective equipment they need.”

“Our law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, and this bipartisan legislation would extend the same survivor benefits to the families of those heroes who make the ultimate sacrifice while serving at private institutions of higher education,” said Ayotte. 

“As we’ve seen -- from Bennington to Boston – when tragedy or disaster strikes, first responders lay their lives on the line to protect ours,” said Leahy, who has enacted several pieces of legislation to close gaps in the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Act.  “We count on them, and they need to be able to count on us. I am proud to again support the Equity in Law Enforcement Act.” 

The bill introduced today would make law enforcement officers serving private colleges and universities, as well as rail carriers, eligible for the same federal benefits that are currently provided to those working at public institutions.  It would also give these additional officers access to federal grant programs for protective body armor and other equipment.  The legislation would only apply to officers who are sworn, licensed or certified to enforce the law within their jurisdiction and would be retroactive to April 15, 2013 - the day of the Boston bombings.

The bipartisan proposal is supported by the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA).

Similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA).

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