H.R. 1269 · Where this bill is now
Became law through another bill
Its text was included in S. 1071, Public Law 119-60 (per the Congressional Research Service). This bill number itself: In committee.
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExtends benefits for public safety officers with cancer
This bill expands a federal program that provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and their families when an officer is hurt or killed on duty. It adds coverage for public safety officers who develop cancer from exposure to harmful substances while working, as long as they served at least 5 years, got sick within 15 years of leaving the job, and the cancer directly caused their death or permanent disability. The Department of Justice will review and update the definition of exposure-related cancer as medical evidence changes.
How it affects you
Public safety officers like firefighters and police who develop cancer from workplace exposure, and their families, would become eligible for benefits they may not have qualified for before. If you're a family member of a public safety officer, this could mean your family has access to financial support and education benefits if your loved one becomes disabled or passes away from an exposure-related cancer.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Feb 12, 2025)
Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025
This bill extends death and disability benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) to certain public safety officers who suffer from exposure-related cancer while on duty and their survivors. 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.
The bill specifies that exposure to a carcinogen shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury in the line of duty if
• the exposure occurred while the officer was in the line of duty;
• the officer began serving as an officer not fewer than 5 years before the date of the diagnosis of an exposure-related cancer and the diagnosis occurred not more than 15 years after the last date of active service; and
• the exposure-related cancer directly and proximately resulted in the death or permanent and total disability of the officer.
The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance must periodically review the definition of exposure-related cance r and update the definition if appropriate based on medical evidence and in accordance with the requirements of a petition process.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1269
A BILL
Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5) · Introduced Feb 12, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 12, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.”