Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act

Bill Number

H.R. 3317

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-04-27: ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 3317, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

Last Updated

2026-05-16T08:07:10Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The "Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act" (H.R. 3317) aims to expand and standardize death benefits for federal employees, including civil servants, public safety officers, and foreign service personnel, who die in the line of duty. It increases payment amounts, adds inflation adjustments, clarifies eligibility and recipients, ensures tax-free status, and provides emergency funding mechanisms to better support families of those killed due to job-related injuries, terrorism, disasters, or other qualifying events.

Key Provisions

• Death Gratuity for Federal Employees (Section 2): Adds a new section (5571) to Title 5 of the U.S. Code, providing a $100,000 payment (adjusted annually for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index) to designated beneficiaries of eligible federal employees killed in the line of duty. Eligibility requires determination by the Secretary of Labor that the death resulted from job-related injuries (e.g., criminal acts, terrorism, natural disasters), excluding cases of employee misconduct, intent to self-harm, or intoxication. Payments follow a strict order of precedence: designated beneficiary, surviving spouse, children/grandchildren, parents, estate executor, or state law designee. The provision applies to a broad range of employees (excluding certain elected officials or military members) and extends to specific groups like Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners, and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) staff. Repeals a 1997 temporary authority for such payments.

• Funeral Expenses (Section 3): Amends Title 5, Section 8134 to increase the reimbursement cap from $800 to $8,800 for funeral and burial costs, with annual inflation adjustments. Payments are tax-free and apply to deaths on or after enactment.

• Public Safety Officer Death Benefits (Section 4): Amends Title 5, Section 8102a to provide a mandatory $100,000 inflation-adjusted payment (removing the prior "up to" limit) for federal public safety officers (e.g., law enforcement, firefighters) killed in the line of duty while assisting armed forces or in combat zones. Offsets payments against other U.S.-funded benefits (except certain military ones); if no survivors, payment goes to the estate. Adds tax-free status.

• Gratuities for Deaths Abroad (Section 5): Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (Section 413) to standardize $100,000 inflation-adjusted payments for executive agency employees or uncompensated support personnel dying abroad in the line of duty under chief of mission authority. Requires Secretary of Labor eligibility determination (linking to workers' compensation rules), offsets against other U.S. benefits, and uses the same recipient precedence as the general federal employee provision. Includes tax-free treatment and updates definitions (e.g., "surviving beneficiaries").

• Military Death Gratuities (Section 6): Amends Title 10, Section 1478 to apply annual inflation adjustments to the $100,000 military death gratuity and make it tax-free.

• Emergency Funding (Section 7): Authorizes supplemental appropriations for agencies if costs from disasters, terrorism, or similar events exceed available funds, with Office of Management and Budget concurrence. Urges Congress to act on such requests within 30 days.

All provisions apply to deaths occurring on or after the date of enactment, with guidance issuance required for foreign service implementation.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Increased and Standardized Amounts: Raises death gratuities and funeral reimbursements from fixed, outdated levels (e.g., $800 funeral cap since 1940s) to $100,000+ with mandatory inflation adjustments, replacing discretionary or temporary authorities (e.g., repeals 1997 appropriations act provision).
• Expanded Eligibility and Scope: Broadens coverage to include more federal workers (e.g., TSA, VHA, uncompensated foreign support roles) and aligns foreign service benefits with domestic ones; removes limits like "up to" $100,000 for public safety officers.
• Recipient and Offset Rules: Introduces uniform order of precedence across provisions, allows estate payments if no survivors, and requires offsets against duplicate U.S. benefits to prevent overpayment.
• Tax Exemptions: Explicitly excludes all new/expanded payments from federal income tax, which was not uniformly addressed before.
• Administrative Clarity: Centralizes eligibility determinations with the Secretary of Labor and mandates inter-agency guidance, reducing inconsistencies.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Increases financial obligations for agencies (e.g., State Department, DHS, VA) to cover higher, inflation-adjusted benefits from salaries/expenses budgets; provides emergency supplemental funding to handle spikes from events like terrorism or disasters, potentially easing fiscal strain during crises.
• On Citizens: Offers greater financial security and recognition for families of fallen federal workers, including civil servants in high-risk roles (e.g., border agents, diplomats), by providing lump-sum support without tax burdens; may encourage recruitment/retention in dangerous public service jobs.
• On International Relations: Enhances support for U.S. personnel abroad (e.g., embassy staff), potentially improving morale and operational effectiveness in diplomatic missions without direct foreign policy shifts.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Employees and Families: Primary beneficiaries, including civil servants, public safety officers (e.g., FBI, TSA), military personnel, foreign service workers, and VHA staff in line-of-duty deaths.
• Federal Agencies: Oversight and payment responsibilities fall on entities like the Departments of Labor, State, Defense, Homeland Security, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; requires budget adjustments and coordination.
• Secretary of Labor and OMB: Key roles in eligibility determinations, inflation calculations, and funding approvals.
• Congress and Taxpayers: Involved in appropriations; broader fiscal impact through higher federal spending on benefits.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal Implications: Codifies and harmonizes fragmented benefit laws across Titles 5, 10, 22, and 38, reducing disputes over eligibility by tying to workers' compensation standards (e.g., excluding diseases unless job-proximate). Ensures payments are non-taxable under the Internal Revenue Code, providing clear fiscal treatment; offsets prevent double-dipping but exclude certain military benefits to avoid conflicts.
• Constitutional Implications: None directly apparent; aligns with Congress's spending power (Article I) to support federal workforce compensation, without infringing on states or individual rights.
• Political Implications: Bipartisan bill (introduced by Reps. Connolly and Fitzpatrick) emphasizes honoring public servants, potentially building goodwill across parties; emergency funding clause pressures swift congressional action on crises, influencing budget debates. May set precedent for future expansions of federal employee protections in high-risk environments.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11]

Cosponsors (1)

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

Recent Actions

• 2026-04-27: ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 3317, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.
• 2025-05-12: Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.
• 2025-05-09: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-05-09: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-05-09: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-05-09: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-05-09: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-05-09: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-05-09: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-05-09: Introduced in House
• 2025-05-09: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act — issued 2025-05-09 — PDF (16 pages)