Legislative Victory! President Biden Signs Fire Police Fairness/PSOB Reform Bill Into Law

December 7, 2021

On November 18, President Biden signed the Protecting America’s First Responders Act (S. 1511) into law. The bill contains language clarifying that members of fire departments who provide traffic incident management services, often referred to as fire police, are public safety officers and eligible to receive the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit (PSOB). The bill also makes it easier to qualify for PSOB Disability and extends for two years a presumption that public safety officers who die from COVID-19 contracted the virus in the line of duty.

“I’d like to thank President Biden for signing the Protecting America’s First Responders Act into law,” said Sarah Lee, the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) CEO, who attended the bill signing ceremony. “This bill has been a top legislative priority for the NVFC, and it is great to see it finally enacted.”