H.R. 1269

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1269 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1269

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
provide public safety officer benefits for exposure-related cancers, 
and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 12, 2025

Ms. Scanlon (for herself, Mr. Gimenez, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Amo) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
provide public safety officer benefits for exposure-related cancers, 
and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. HONORING OUR FALLEN HEROES.

(a) Cancer-Related Deaths and Disabilities.--
(1) In general.--Section 1201 of title I of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(p) Exposure-Related Cancers.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Carcinogen.--The term `carcinogen' means an 
agent that is--
``(i) classified by the International 
Agency for Research on Cancer under Group 1 or 
Group 2A; and
``(ii) reasonably linked to an exposure-
related cancer.
``(B) Director.--The term `Director' means the 
Director of the Bureau.
``(C) Exposure-related cancer.--As updated from 
time to time in accordance with paragraph (3), the term 
`exposure-related cancer' means--
``(i) bladder cancer;
``(ii) brain cancer;
``(iii) breast cancer;
``(iv) cervical cancer;
``(v) colon cancer;
``(vi) colorectal cancer;
``(vii) esophageal cancer;
``(viii) kidney cancer;
``(ix) leukemia;
``(x) lung cancer;
``(xi) malignant melanoma;
``(xii) mesothelioma;
``(xiii) multiple myeloma;
``(xiv) non-Hodgkins lymphoma;
``(xv) ovarian cancer;
``(xvi) prostate cancer;
``(xvii) skin cancer;
``(xviii) stomach cancer;
``(xix) testicular cancer;
``(xx) thyroid cancer;
``(xxi) any form of cancer that is 
considered a WTC-related health condition under 
section 3312(a) of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 300mm-22(a)); and
``(xxii) any form of cancer added to this 
definition pursuant to an update in accordance 
with paragraph (3).
``(2) Personal injury sustained in the line of duty.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), as 
determined by the Bureau, the exposure of a public 
safety officer to a carcinogen shall be presumed to 
constitute a personal injury within the meaning of 
subsection (a) or (b) sustained in the line of duty by 
the officer and directly and proximately resulting in 
death or permanent and total disability, if--
``(i) the exposure occurred while the 
public safety officer was engaged in line of 
duty action or activity;
``(ii) the public safety officer began 
serving as a public safety officer not fewer 
than 5 years before the date of the diagnosis 
of the public safety officer with an exposure-
related cancer;
``(iii) the public safety officer was 
diagnosed with the exposure-related cancer not 
more than 15 years after the public safety 
officer's last date of active service as a 
public safety officer; and
``(iv) the exposure-related cancer directly 
and proximately results in the death or 
permanent and total disability of the public 
safety officer.
``(B) Exception.--The presumption under 
subparagraph (A) shall not apply if competent medical 
evidence establishes that the exposure of the public 
safety officer to the carcinogen was not a substantial 
contributing factor in the death or disability of the 
public safety officer.
``(3) Additional exposure-related cancers.--
``(A) In general.--From time to time but not less 
frequently than once every 3 years, the Director 
shall--
``(i) review the definition of `exposure-
related cancer' under paragraph (1); and
``(ii) if appropriate, update the 
definition, in accordance with this paragraph--
``(I) by rule; or
``(II) by publication in the 
Federal Register or on the public 
website of the Bureau.
``(B) Basis for updates.--
``(i) In general.--The Director shall make 
an update under subparagraph (A)(ii) in any 
case in which the Director finds such an update 
to be appropriate based on competent medical 
evidence of significant risk to public safety 
officers of developing the form of exposure-
related cancer that is the subject of the 
update from engagement in their public safety 
activities.
``(ii) Evidence.--The competent medical 
evidence described in clause (i) may include 
recommendations, risk assessments, and 
scientific studies by--
``(I) the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health;
``(II) the National Toxicology 
Program;
``(III) the National Academies of 
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or
``(IV) the International Agency for 
Research on Cancer.
``(C) Petitions to add to the list of exposure-
related cancers.--
``(i) In general.--Any person may petition 
the Director to add a form of cancer to the 
definition of `exposure-related cancer' under 
paragraph (1).
``(ii) Content of petition.--A petition 
under clause (i) shall provide information to 
show that there is sufficient competent medical 
evidence of significant risk to public safety 
officers of developing the cancer from 
engagement in their public safety activities.
``(iii) Timely and substantive decisions.--
``(I) Referral.--Not later than 180 
days after receipt of a petition 
satisfying clause (ii), the Director 
shall refer the petition to appropriate 
medical experts for review, analysis 
(including risk assessment and 
scientific study), and recommendation.
``(II) Consideration.--The Director 
shall consider each recommendation 
under subclause (I) and promptly take 
appropriate action in connection with 
the recommendation pursuant to 
subparagraph (B).
``(iv) Notification to congress.--Not later 
than 30 days after taking any substantive 
action in connection with a recommendation 
under clause (iii)(II), the Director shall 
notify the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of 
the House of Representatives of the substantive 
action.''.
(2) Applicability.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
shall apply to any claim under--
(A) section 1201(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 
10281(a)) that is predicated upon the death of a public 
safety officer on or after January 1, 2020, that is the 
direct and proximate result of an exposure-related 
cancer; or
(B) section 1201(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 
10281(b)) that is filed on or after January 1, 2020, 
and predicated upon a disability that is the direct and 
proximate result of an exposure-related cancer.
(3) Time for filing claim.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an individual who desires to file a claim 
that is predicated upon the amendment made by paragraph (1) 
shall not be precluded from filing such a claim within 3 years 
of the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Confidentiality of Information.--
(1) In general.--Section 812(a) of title I of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10231(a)) 
is amended--
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ``furnished 
under this title by any person and identifiable to any 
specific private person'' and inserting ``furnished 
under any law to any component of the Office of Justice 
Programs, or furnished otherwise under this title, by 
any entity or person, including any information 
identifiable to any specific private person,''; and
(B) in the second sentence, by striking ``person 
furnishing such information'' and inserting ``entity or 
person furnishing such information or to whom such 
information pertains''.
(2) Effective date; applicability.--The amendments made by 
paragraph (1) shall--
(A) shall take effect for all purposes as if 
enacted on December 27, 1979; and
(B) apply to any matter pending, before the 
Department of Justice or otherwise, as of the date of 
enactment of this Act.
(c) Technical Amendments.--
(1) In general.--Section 1201(o)(2) of title I of the 
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 
10281(o)(2)) is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or (b)'' 
after ``subsection (a)'';
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``or (b)'' 
after ``subsection (a)''; and
(C) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``or (b)'' 
after ``subsection (a)''.
(2) Applicability.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
shall apply to any matter pending before the Department of 
Justice as of the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

(a) In General.--Section 3 of the Safeguarding America's First 
Responders Act of 2020 (34 U.S.C. 10281 note) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
``(d) Definition.--In this section, the term `line of duty action' 
includes any action--
``(1) in which a public safety officer engaged at the 
direction of the agency served by the public safety officer; or
``(2) the public safety officer is authorized or obligated 
to perform.''.
(b) Applicability.--
(1) In general.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to any claim under section 3 of the Safeguarding 
America's First Responders Act of 2020 (34 U.S.C. 10281 note)--
(A) that is predicated upon the death of a public 
safety officer on or after January 1, 2020; or
(B) that is--
(i) predicated upon the disability of a 
public safety officer; and
(ii) filed on or after January 1, 2020.
(2) Time for filing claim.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an individual who desires to file a claim 
that is predicated upon the amendment made by subsection (a) 
shall not be precluded from filing such a claim within 3 years 
of the date of enactment of this Act.
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