Gillibrand, Cruz Applaud Committee Passage Of Their Bills To Support First Responders And Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse

Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) lauded the Senate Judiciary Committee’s passage of two of their bipartisan bills: the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act and the Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements (TREY’S) Law . “I am thrilled that these two crucial pieces of legislation have passed out of committee,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We owe our public safety officers and their families timely access to death and disability benefits, and survivors of child sexual abuse deserve the right to tell their stories and seek public accountability for the horrors they endured. I will not stop fighting until both of these bills are passed by the full Congress and signed into law.” “Law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities, and we have a duty to ensure they receive timely, fair support when they need it most. We also have a responsibility to stand with children who have endured sexual abuse and protect their right to share their stories. I am grateful these two bipartisan bills passed through committee unanimously, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance them,” said Senator Ted Cruz. The Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act would amend the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program to improve processing times and reduce delays in benefit determinations. The PSOB Program provides death benefits to survivors of first responders who have died in the line of duty, as well as disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty. Specifically, the senators’ bill – which is endorsed by over 30 public safety officer organizations and unions – would: Require the BJA to complete a death or disability eligibility determination within 270 days of receiving a complete claim Require the BJA to use its subpoena authority if a public agency fails to provide requested documentation in relation to a claimant’s case Expedite processing for officers already certified for benefits through the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) or the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) Direct BJA to implement GAO recommendations to establish updated program processes and administrative procedures The Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements (TREY’S) Law would void nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of child sexual abuse or assault. NDAs can be used to silence survivors of child sexual abuse and shield perpetrators from accountability. This bill would make any NDA provision unenforceable if it prohibits or restricts someone from disclosing the sexual abuse of a minor or facts related to that abuse, regardless of whether the NDA was signed before a dispute arose or as part of a civil settlement agreement. ###