Washington, D.C. - Congress enacted a bipartisan measure co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to protect death benefits paid to families of law enforcement officers who fall in the line of duty.
The "Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act" clarifies that both federal and state death benefits paid to the families of fallen law enforcement officers are exempt from the federal income tax.
"Every day, law enforcement officers across the Commonwealth risk their lives to serve and protect our communities," said Sen. Toomey. "Too often, they lose their lives for our safety as we have recently experienced in Pennsylvania with the murders of State Police Trooper Corporal Bryon Dickson and Philadelphia Officer Robert Wilson III in the line of duty. There is nothing anyone can do to lessen the grief for the Dickson and Wilson families. But we can - and should - help care for them. One modest, commonsense measure is ensuring that the federal government does not take a cut out of their death benefits, and I am pleased that the Senate has passed our bipartisan bill to get this done."
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