The Forgotten Survivors Finally Have a Chance

I have some wonderful news to share today.  The Public Safety Officers Support Act (2022), Bill 6943, is awaiting signature by the President of the United States.  Now, before anyone gets ready for a fight, this blog is not, and was not ever intended to be, a political forum.  Any comments that are political in nature will be deleted.  This post is about the passage of this monumental act.

The PSOP Act of 2022 grants the one-time federal death benefit to families who have lost a First Responder to suicide when the suicide meets one of four conditions.  I’m not going into the text of the bill, as it can be found with a simple Google search.  I am addressing the fact that this bill is monumental in its support of First Responder families and survivors. 

Suicide was the leading cause of death among Law Enforcement Officers prior to Covid-19, and yet, these deaths are often not considered Line of Duty, and families receive no benefits, regardless of their officer’s service.  Families have seen medical insurance ended upon the officer’s death, the paycheck goes away, and all of a sudden, the family is in a position of trying to figure out how to physically survive and pay bills while grieving the loved one.  The PSOP Act helps to alleviate some of that burden.

The minimum federal death benefit is $376,000, and that is not taking into account years of service, rank, or state and local benefits or pensions.  A benefit like this could help so many families maintain their mortgage payments, health insurance, car payments, etc., following the death of their loved one.  This benefit is already paid out to those who died from Covid, with no requirement to prove that they were exposed in the course of their jobs – it has been assumed.  Survivors of suicide have to prove that the suicide was job related. 

The PSOP also grants First Responders who suffer from PTSD financial assistance, just as it would grant that assistance to officers who are no longer able to work due to a heart condition, diabetes, or other condition. 

More important than the monetary benefit, however, is the fact that the passage of this act at the federal level means that it is likely more states will begin to amend their own Line of Duty Acts, as well as it opens a door that had previously been slammed shut because of outdated thinking and stigmatization.  Suicide is not weak.  PTSD is not a mental illness akin to schizophrenia or psychosis.  PTSD is the result of exposure to one or more traumatic events.  It is the result of years of not being able to talk about those events for fear of being benched from the job. 

The average person is exposed to 1-3 traumatic events during their life, while some studies show that First Responders – Law Enforcement in particular – are exposed to over 800 traumatic events during a 20-year career!  The fact that the federal government is now beginning to recognize those numbers is a testament to those who have worked so hard behind the scenes to get this act passed. 

Abby and I both sent in letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the impact that Grubby’s death has had on our lives.  It has not only had a financial impact, which Abby has not seen, but the emotional impact as well – the panic attacks, the depression, the irrational fears, the inability to focus, and the uncertainty of what each day will bring.  Passage of this act could help alleviate at least the financial impact for us, and that in turn, will hopefully lessen the fear and panic attacks. 

Although not every family who has lost a First Responder to suicide will be eligible to file for benefits under this act, it is a step.  It is a HUGE step.  There are still many more, but even the smallest steps will get you where you’re going!