Bill Overview
Title: Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act
Description: This bill increases benefits to survivors of federal employees who die in the line of duty. Specifically, the bill increases the death benefit for federal employees from $10,000 to $100,000 and increases the funeral benefit from $800 to $8,800. Both amounts must be adjusted annually for inflation.
Sponsors: Sen. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ]
Target Audience
Population: Survivors of federal employees who have died in the line of duty
Estimated Size: 200
- The bill targets survivors of federal employees who have died in the line of duty.
- The significant increase in both the death and funeral benefits will directly impact the financial wellbeing and support received by the survivors.
- The inflation adjustment component ensures that over time, the benefits maintain their value, thus continuing to provide adequate support to survivors in the future.
- This applies specifically to federal employees, who could include a variety of roles such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other federal government employees.
Reasoning
- The policy directly impacts a small, specific population—survivors of federal employees who have died in the line of duty. Given this specificity, the policy's financial implications pertain primarily to this group, estimated around 200 cases annually in the U.S.
- The significant increase in benefit from $10,000 to $100,000, and funeral benefits from $800 to $8,800, is likely to have a substantial financial impact, reducing financial stress associated with unexpected deaths.
- Inflation adjustment ensures that the real value of these benefits is maintained over time.
- There may be psychological and economic improvements in testimony from survivors who may otherwise feel unsupported by existing systems, affecting these individuals over a long duration.
- Given a budget of $18.24 million for year 1 and $198.168 million over ten years, the policy's implementation will need careful monitoring to ensure sustainability, especially given potential underestimation of affected individuals.
Simulated Interviews
Government Employee (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With the increased benefits, I feel some of the financial burdens of losing my husband will be alleviated, allowing me to focus more on healing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 3 |
Firefighter (San Diego, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Seeing my colleague's family benefit more substantially through this policy gives me peace of mind knowing they will be better supported.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Teacher's Assistant (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy helps ease the financial burden placed on my sister-in-law, which indirectly supports my family as well.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 3 |
Federal Immigration Officer (Austin, TX)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Knowing this policy is in place gives me peace of mind that my family would be financially secure if something happened to me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Law Enforcement Officer (Boston, MA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- These benefits acknowledgment helps me emotionally cope knowing my family's future would be secured.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
College Student (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policies like these ensure that civil servants and their families are cared for, which is only right.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retired Military Officer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am relieved knowing my grandson would be better supported if tragedy struck.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Federal Building Security (Chicago, IL)
Age: 36 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Seeing first-hand the difficulties for a family losing a loved one, this policy feels necessary.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Postal Worker (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- These improved benefits align with values of support and acknowledgement for civil servants' risks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Federal Paralegal (Houston, TX)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy makes dealing with the unknown a bit more bearable knowing our family would be cushioned in case of a tragedy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $18240000 (Low: $17000000, High: $19500000)
Year 2: $18604800 (Low: $17340000, High: $19890000)
Year 3: $18976896 (Low: $17717000, High: $20287800)
Year 5: $19719689 (Low: $18441830, High: $21199311)
Year 10: $21279813 (Low: $19917195, High: $22944829)
Year 100: $50147615 (Low: $46938359, High: $54057998)
Key Considerations
- The inflation adjustment clause implies ongoing cost adjustments, gradually increasing the program's expenditure over time.
- Past data on federal employees dying in the line of duty can guide the number of beneficiaries, but unforeseen events could alter this estimate.
- This act directly affects families of federal employees and may provide them financial stability in distressing times.