S. 3897 · Passed Senate · Crime and Law Enforcement

Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program Expansion Act of 2026

Sponsor: Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY)

What it does

• Requires the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance to notify claimants of missing information within 90 days and determine eligibility within 270 days of receiving a completed claim.
• Authorizes the Bureau of Justice Assistance to use subpoena authority to obtain information from public agencies that fail to provide it within 30 days of request.
• Requires the Bureau of Justice Assistance to conduct ongoing outreach to promote awareness of the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program.
• Requires the Bureau of Justice Assistance to report whether delays in claim processing result from claimant inaction or public agency failure to provide information.
• Directs the Bureau of Justice Assistance to implement recommendations from the Government Accountability Office's 2024 report on the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program and requires annual Government Accountability Office audits of claims pending more than one year.

Official summary

Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program Expansion Act of 2026 This bill establishes processing timelines and expands claims assistance, outreach, and reporting requirements pertaining to claims for benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty and their survivors. This bill requires the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to notify a claimant of any missing information required to process a claim within 90 days of receiving the claim and generally requires the BJA to determine eligibility within 270 days of a completed claim. In addition, the bill requires the BJA to use its subpoena authority to obtain information or documentation that is necessary to adjudicate a claim if a public agency fails to provide it 30 days after a request. Under the bill, the BJA must conduct ongoing outreach to promote awareness of the PSOB program. The BJA must also report on whether a delay in processing a claim was due to the inaction of the claimant or the public agency…

Latest action

Aug 10, 2026: Held at the desk.

Committee: Senate Judiciary