USFA Public Safety Officer Benefits
PSOB Program [Click here to go to site]
The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Act (codified at 42 U.S.C. 3796 (PDF 135 Kb),
et seq.) was enacted in 1976 to assist in the recruitment and retention
of law enforcement officers and firefighters. Specifically, Congress
was concerned that the hazards inherent in law enforcement and fire
suppression and the low level of state and local death benefits might
discourage qualified individuals from seeking careers in public safety,
thus hindering the ability of communities to provide for public safety.
The PSOB Act was designed to offer peace of mind to men and women
seeking careers in public safety and to make a strong statement about
the value that American society places on the contributions of those who
serve their communities in potentially dangerous circumstances.
The PSOB Program provides death benefits in the form of a one-time
financial payment to the eligible survivors of public safety officers
whose deaths are the direct and proximate result of a traumatic injury
sustained in the line of duty.
The PSOB Program provides disability
benefits for public safety officers who have been permanently and
totally disabled by a catastrophic personal injury sustained in the line
of duty if that injury permanently prevents the officer from performing
any substantial and gainful work. Medical retirement
for a line-of-duty disability does not, in and of itself, establish
eligibility for PSOB benefits.
The PSOB Program includes the Public Safety Officers' Educational
Assistance (PSOEA) Act. This act expands on the former Federal Law
Enforcement Dependents Assistance Program to provide financial
assistance for higher education
for the spouses and children of federal, state, and local public safety
officers who have been permanently disabled or killed in the line of
duty. Educational assistance through the PSOEA Program is only available
to the spouse or children of a public safety officer after the PSOB
death or disability claim process has been completed and benefits have
been awarded. The educational assistance may be used to defray relevant
expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies,
and other education-related costs. All PSOEA awards must, by law, be
reduced by the amount of other governmental assistance that a student is
eligible to receive.