Details of the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act

On January 23rd, Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN) and Senator Kevin Cramer (ND) introduced S. 237, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act.  The legislation expands the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program to line-of-duty deaths and permanent disabilities that occur because of certain cancers.  On February 12th, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5) introduced companion legislation, H.R. 1269. 

The PSOB program provides benefits to the survivors of public safety officers who die in the line of duty, as well as disability benefits to officers who become permanently disabled due to injuries sustained in the line of duty.  The legislation was included as part of the Senate-passed annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

The President signed the Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act last night (December 18, 2025) enabling certain cancers to be considered eligible injuries under the Public Safety Officer’s benefit. The measure was included in the $901B National Defense Authorization Act that the U.S. Senate passed 77-20 Wednesday afternoon.

Here are the key points in the legislation:

·         Retroactive for deaths that occurred from Janauy 1, 2020 on

·         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

·         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

·         Here are the cancers that are covered:

o    bladder cancer;

o    brain cancer;

o    breast cancer;

o    cervical cancer;

o    colon cancer;

o    colorectal cancer;

o    esophageal cancer;

o    kidney cancer;

o    leukemia;

o    lung cancer;

o    malignant melanoma;

o    mesothelioma;

o    multiple myeloma;

o    non-Hodgkins lymphoma;

o    ovarian cancer;

o    prostate cancer;

o    skin cancer;

o    stomach cancer;

o    testicular cancer;

o    thyroid cancer;

o    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))

There is a process in which new cancers can be added.

Remember that death claims must be submitted within 3 years of the date of death OR 3 years of the date of passage of legislation.  So, you will have until December 18, 2028, to submit claims that traditionally fall outside the 3-year time frame.