This bill includes Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees in the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program under certain conditions. Specifically, the bill extends PSOB program death and disability benefits to TSA employees performing official duties related to protecting the nation's transportation systems.
As background, the PSOB program provides cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers; firefighters; employees of emergency management agencies; and members of emergency medical services agencies who are killed or permanently and totally disabled as the result of personal injuries sustained in the line of duty. PSOB death benefits are payable to the eligible spouse and children of a public safety officer. Further, the Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers who are eligible for PSOB death or disability benefits.