WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has introduced the Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act, a bipartisan legislative effort to modernize benefits for federal employees who lose their lives serving the nation. Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) joined as co-sponsors of the bill.
The proposed legislation seeks to increase the death gratuity for fallen federal employees from $10,000 to $100,000 and adjust funeral expense allowances from $800 to $8,800. These benefits, established decades ago, no longer reflect current economic realities. The bill would also expand eligibility to include the survivors of all federal employees and allow workers to designate their beneficiaries.
“Our laws have failed the families of federal workers killed in the line of duty,” Senator Fetterman stated. “It’s long past time that our laws reflect our national values and profound appreciation for federal workers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
The bill has garnered wide support from several organizations, including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). Advocates assert that the current benefits system does not sufficiently support families of fallen workers.
“It is far past the time to update the death benefits for federal employees who are killed in the line of duty,” said Randy Erwin, National President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE). “It is not only inadequate, but also disrespectful to those who make the ultimate sacrifice serving our country. The increase to death benefits does not impact discretionary budgets, and it will ensure that future incidents involving the passing of federal workers will not be devalued again.”
Other supporters, including Mathew Silverman, National President of FLEOA, emphasized that the proposed changes demonstrate the federal government’s commitment to honor the sacrifices of civil servants. “[This legislation] will help demonstrate the federal government’s commitment to fully honoring the sacrifice our fallen officers have made to keep this nation safe,” Silverman noted.
The Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act represents a bipartisan effort to update outdated policies, ensuring families of federal workers receive meaningful financial support during their time of loss.
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