S. 237Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 3:19 AM UTC

The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025 amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to give public safety officers benefits for cancers linked to on‑the‑job exposure. It defines which cancers qualify, sets a presumption that such cancers are line‑of‑duty injuries under certain service and timing conditions, and creates a process for regularly updating the list based on scientific evidence. The bill also clarifies confidentiality rules, adds technical fixes, and expands the definition of line‑of‑duty actions for related benefit claims.

Key Provisions

Adds a new category of "exposure‑related cancers" for public safety officers, defining a carcinogen as an agent classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as Group 1 or 2A and reasonably linked to cancer.
Lists specific cancers (e.g., lung, bladder, leukemia, mesothelioma, etc.) that qualify, and allows the list to be updated at least every three years by the Director of the Bureau based on competent medical evidence.
Creates a presumption that an officer’s exposure to a carcinogen while on duty is a line‑of‑duty personal injury leading to death or permanent total disability if the officer served at least five years before diagnosis, was diagnosed within 15 years of leaving service, and the cancer directly caused the injury; this presumption can be rebutted by medical evidence.
Allows any person to petition the Director to add cancers to the list, with a required review timeline (180 days for expert referral, prompt action thereafter, and congressional notification within 30 days).
Extends eligibility for benefits under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to claims filed on or after Jan 1 2020 for qualifying cancers, and permits filing of new claims within three years of the Act’s enactment.
Amends confidentiality language in the Act to broaden who may furnish information and how it is identified, applying retroactively to matters pending as of enactment.
Makes technical amendments to existing sections to include the new “(b)” provisions and adds a definition of “line of duty action” to the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act of 2020.

Legislative Activity

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SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 78.

May 20, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 23, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

January 23, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Judiciary Committee

May 15, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.

Judiciary Committee

May 20, 2025

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 78.

May 20, 2025

Bill Text

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Reported to SenateIssued May 20, 2025

Calendar No. 78

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 237

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 23, 2025

Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Banks, Mr. Barrasso, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cruz, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Graham, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Justice, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Markey, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Schiff, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Sheehy, Ms. Smith, Mr. Warner, Ms. Warren, Mr. Welch, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Ossoff, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Moreno, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Kim, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Moody, and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

May 20, 2025

Reported by Mr. Grassley, without amendment

A BILL

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide public safety officer benefits for exposure-related cancers, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025.

Honoring our fallen heroes

(a)

Cancer-Related deaths and disabilities

(1)

In general

Section 1201 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(p)

Exposure-Related cancers

(1)

Definitions

In this subsection:

(A)

Carcinogen

The term carcinogen means an agent that is—

(i)

classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer under Group 1 or Group 2A; and

(ii)

reasonably linked to an exposure-related cancer.

(B)

Director

The term Director means the Director of the Bureau.

(C)

Exposure-related cancer

As updated from time to time in accordance with paragraph (3), the term exposure-related cancer means—

(i)

bladder cancer;

(ii)

brain cancer;

(iii)

breast cancer;

(iv)

cervical cancer;

(v)

colon cancer;

(vi)

colorectal cancer;

(vii)

esophageal cancer;

(viii)

kidney cancer;

(ix)

leukemia;

(x)

lung cancer;

(xi)

malignant melanoma;

(xii)

mesothelioma;

(xiii)

multiple myeloma;

(xiv)

non-Hodgkins lymphoma;

(xv)

ovarian cancer;

(xvi)

prostate cancer;

(xvii)

skin cancer;

(xviii)

stomach cancer;

(xix)

testicular cancer;

(xx)

thyroid cancer;

(xxi)

any form of cancer that is considered a WTC-related health condition under section 3312(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300mm–22(a)); and

(xxii)

any form of cancer added to this definition pursuant to an update in accordance with paragraph (3).

(2)

Personal injury sustained in the line of duty

(A)

In general

Subject to subparagraph (B), as determined by the Bureau, the exposure of a public safety officer to a carcinogen shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury within the meaning of subsection (a) or (b) sustained in the line of duty by the officer and directly and proximately resulting in death or permanent and total disability, if—

(i)

the exposure occurred while the public safety officer was engaged in line of duty action or activity;

(ii)

the public safety officer began serving as a public safety officer not fewer than 5 years before the date of the diagnosis of the public safety officer with an exposure-related cancer;

(iii)

the public safety officer was diagnosed with the exposure-related cancer not more than 15 years after the public safety officer’s last date of active service as a public safety officer; and

(iv)

the exposure-related cancer directly and proximately results in the death or permanent and total disability of the public safety officer.

(B)

Exception

The presumption under subparagraph (A) shall not apply if competent medical evidence establishes that the exposure of the public safety officer to the carcinogen was not a substantial contributing factor in the death or disability of the public safety officer.

(3)

Additional exposure-related cancers

(A)

In general

From time to time but not less frequently than once every 3 years, the Director shall—

(i)

review the definition of exposure-related cancer under paragraph (1); and

(ii)

if appropriate, update the definition, in accordance with this paragraph—

(I)

by rule; or

(II)

by publication in the Federal Register or on the public website of the Bureau.

(B)

Basis for updates

(i)

In general

The Director shall make an update under subparagraph (A)(ii) in any case in which the Director finds such an update to be appropriate based on competent medical evidence of significant risk to public safety officers of developing the form of exposure-related cancer that is the subject of the update from engagement in their public safety activities.

(ii)

Evidence

The competent medical evidence described in clause (i) may include recommendations, risk assessments, and scientific studies by—

(I)

the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health;

(II)

the National Toxicology Program;

(III)

the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or

(IV)

the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

(C)

Petitions to add to the list of exposure-related cancers

(i)

In general

Any person may petition the Director to add a form of cancer to the definition of exposure-related cancer under paragraph (1).

(ii)

Content of petition

A petition under clause (i) shall provide information to show that there is sufficient competent medical evidence of significant risk to public safety officers of developing the cancer from engagement in their public safety activities.

(iii)

Timely and substantive decisions

(I)

Referral

Not later than 180 days after receipt of a petition satisfying clause (ii), the Director shall refer the petition to appropriate medical experts for review, analysis (including risk assessment and scientific study), and recommendation.

(II)

Consideration

The Director shall consider each recommendation under subclause (I) and promptly take appropriate action in connection with the recommendation pursuant to subparagraph (B).

(iv)

Notification to congress

Not later than 30 days after taking any substantive action in connection with a recommendation under clause (iii)(II), the Director shall notify the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives of the substantive action.

(2)

Applicability

The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall apply to any claim under—

(A)

section 1201(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(a)) that is predicated upon the death of a public safety officer on or after January 1, 2020, that is the direct and proximate result of an exposure-related cancer; or

(B)

section 1201(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(b)) that is filed on or after January 1, 2020, and predicated upon a disability that is the direct and proximate result of an exposure-related cancer.

(3)

Time for filing claim

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who desires to file a claim that is predicated upon the amendment made by paragraph (1) shall not be precluded from filing such a claim within 3 years of the date of enactment of this Act.

(b)

Confidentiality of information

(1)

In general

Section 812(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10231(a)) is amended—

(A)

in the first sentence, by striking furnished under this title by any person and identifiable to any specific private person and inserting furnished under any law to any component of the Office of Justice Programs, or furnished otherwise under this title, by any entity or person, including any information identifiable to any specific private person,; and

(B)

in the second sentence, by striking person furnishing such information and inserting entity or person furnishing such information or to whom such information pertains.

(2)

Effective date; applicability

The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall—

(A)

shall take effect for all purposes as if enacted on December 27, 1979; and

(B)

apply to any matter pending, before the Department of Justice or otherwise, as of the date of enactment of this Act.

(c)

Technical amendments

(1)

In general

Section 1201(o)(2) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10281(o)(2)) is amended—

(A)

in subparagraph (A), by inserting or (b) after subsection (a);

(B)

in subparagraph (B), by inserting or (b) after subsection (a); and

(C)

in subparagraph (C), by inserting or (b) after subsection (a).

(2)

Applicability

The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall apply to any matter pending before the Department of Justice as of the date of enactment of this Act.

Technical amendments

(a)

In general

Section 3 of the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act of 2020 (34 U.S.C. 10281 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(d)

Definition

In this section, the term line of duty action includes any action—

(1)

in which a public safety officer engaged at the direction of the agency served by the public safety officer; or

(2)

the public safety officer is authorized or obligated to perform.

(b)

Applicability

(1)

In general

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to any claim under section 3 of the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act of 2020 (34 U.S.C. 10281 note)—

(A)

that is predicated upon the death of a public safety officer on or after January 1, 2020; or

(B)

that is—

(i)

predicated upon the disability of a public safety officer; and

(ii)

filed on or after January 1, 2020.

(2)

Time for filing claim

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who desires to file a claim that is predicated upon the amendment made by subsection (a) shall not be precluded from filing such a claim within 3 years of the date of enactment of this Act.

May 20, 2025

Reported without amendment