May 21, 2020
Carson City, NV– Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford joined a
bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys general urging Congress to pass S.3607,
the Safeguarding America’s First Responders (SAFR) Act. The Act would permit
the families of first responders, who die or are permanently and totally
disabled as a result of COVID-19, to receive the same federal benefits extended
to first responders or their survivors otherwise killed or injured in the line
of duty. Sadly, several law enforcement officers across the country have
already succumbed to the novel Coronavirus. Current federal law would only allow
survivors access to certain benefits if evidence is provided proving the
deceased or permanently disabled first responder contracted COVID-19 while on
duty.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made the daily
sacrifices of our public safety officers even more clear,” said AG Ford. “When
an officer loses their life in the line of duty, there are often many benefits
available to their families. This legislation ensures these families don’t face
unnecessary barriers to benefits they have already been promised. I applaud the
Senate’s recent passage of this legislation and am urging the House to do the
same.”
In a letter sent to Congress, AG Ford
urged quick passage of the SAFR Act. The letter states, in part, “When public
safety officers are called to respond, they do not know whether they are coming
into contact with a person who is positive for COVID-19. We have seen harrowing
stories about how public safety officers have taken heroic actions to save the
lives of others, knowing that they risked infection in doing so.”
The SAFR Act would
establish a temporary presumption that officers contracted COVID-19 while on
duty if diagnosed within 45 days of a first responder’s last shift. The
legislation ensures families of officers and first responders lost while
fighting the pandemic do not face unnecessary barriers to benefits already
promised under existing federal law.
With the backing of 52 of the nation's attorneys general, the
National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has chosen to endorse the
legislation as one of its official policy positions. Historically, NAAG
endorses less than a dozen policies a year.
This legislation is sponsored by Senator Chuck
Grassley of Iowa and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. It recently passed the
United States Senate and is currently being considered by the House of
Representatives.
In addition to Nevada, other states
participating in this letter include: Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto
Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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