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HR7718FEDERALin_committee
Finance Detected

Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act of 2026

February 25, 2026

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.Feb 25, 2026

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Finance Connection

Notable money activity
$22,100across 20 reported contributions
Trace money trail →
CandidateDonorAmountIndustryDate
Eric Weber for City Council 2020JB Contractors, Inc$2,500-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020JB Contractors, Inc$2,500-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020LACPPOA Small Contributor Committee$2,000-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020LACPPOA Small Contributor Committee$2,000-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Alliance Property LLC$2,000-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Alliance Property LLC$2,000-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Robert Olander$1,200RetiredDec 2023
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Robert Olander$1,200RetiredDec 2023
Eric Weber for City Council 2020John Kouros$1,000Self EmployedFeb 2024
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Vienna Psychological Group$600-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Vienna Psychological Group$600-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020John Kouros$500Self EmployedFeb 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020California Real Estate Political Action Committee$500-Feb 2024
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Premier Real Estate Services$500-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Glendora Police Officers Association PAC$500-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Glendora Police Officers Association PAC$500-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Mosaic Escrow, Inc$500-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Mosaic Escrow, Inc$500-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Premier Real Estate Services$500-Jan 2020
Eric Weber for City Council 2020Cynthia Scheffler$500Commercial DrillingJan 2020

Reported financial relationships and timing signals. This does not prove motive or influence. Readers draw their own conclusions.

The Frame

What this does

The bill establishes a 270-day deadline for the federal government to decide on public safety officer benefit claims, potentially providing interim payments to families or disabled officers if that deadline is missed.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Public safety officers

Officers and their families are subject to new processing timelines and potential interim payments for death and disability claims.

Bureau of Justice Assistance

The agency must adhere to new 90-day and 270-day processing deadlines and exercise subpoena authority against non-compliant agencies.

Public agencies

Agencies must provide requested information for benefit claims within 30 days or face potential subpoenas.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill aims to speed up the processing of death and disability benefits for public safety officers by setting strict deadlines for the Bureau of Justice Assistance. It introduces interim payments for delayed claims, mandates annual audits of backlogged cases, and requires the Bureau to use power to obtain missing information from agencies.

Key Facts

  • The Bureau must notify claimants of missing information within 90 days of receiving a claim.
  • The Bureau must issue a determination on a complete claim within 270 days.
  • If the 270-day deadline is missed, the Bureau must issue a single interim benefit payment.
  • Interim payments are not subject to repayment unless fraud or material misrepresentation is involved.
  • The Bureau is required to issue subpoenas to public agencies that fail to provide necessary information within 30 days of a request.
  • The Comptroller General must conduct an annual audit of all claims pending for more than one year.
  • The Bureau must conduct ongoing outreach to public safety officers and underserved agencies regarding benefit availability.
  • The Bureau must submit a summary of backlogged claims to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees annually.
  • The definition of 'complete claim' is formalized as a claim with all required documents assigned a claim number.
  • The bill expands the definition of disability to include inability to perform gainful work as a public safety officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the government takes too long to process my claim?
If the Bureau of Justice Assistance fails to make a determination within 270 days of receiving a complete claim, they are required to issue a single interim benefit payment.
Can the government ask for the interim payment back?
Generally, no. Interim payments are credited against final benefits and cannot be recouped by the Bureau unless the claimant committed fraud or provided false information.
What if my agency is slow to provide the documents needed for my claim?
The bill requires the Bureau to issue a to any public agency that fails to provide requested information within 30 days.

Why It Matters

The bill establishes a 270-day deadline for the federal government to decide on public safety officer benefit claims, potentially providing interim payments to families or disabled officers if that deadline is missed.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift to Mandatory Subpoena Power

The bill moves the Bureau from a voluntary or discretionary request process to a mandatory subpoena requirement for agencies that delay providing information for more than 30 days.

Connected Entities

personMichael AnsbroPublic safety officer for whom the bill is named.Map →
personWeberRepresentative from Texas who introduced the bill.Map →
organizationBureau of Justice AssistanceThe federal agency responsible for processing public safety officer benefits.Map →
personMinRepresentative who co-sponsored the bill.Map →
personComptroller GeneralResponsible for conducting annual audits of backlogged claims.Map →
personJohn BarnesPublic safety officer for whom the bill is named.Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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