New Bill Extends Federal Death Benefits to Retired Police Officers Targeted for Past Service, Retroactive to 2012

The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025 is a straightforward piece of legislation designed to close a specific gap in federal benefits for public safety personnel. Essentially, it updates the Public Safety Officers Death Benefits (PSODB) program to include certain retired law enforcement officers who are injured or killed because of their former job.

Who Gets Covered Now?

Before this Act, the PSODB program primarily covered officers currently in service. This bill expands the definition of eligible beneficiaries to include a "retired law enforcement officer," which covers anyone—paid or volunteer—who left their public agency job in good standing. The key condition is that the injury or death must be the result of a targeted attack that was directly caused by their past service as a law enforcement officer. Think of an officer who retired five years ago, but is targeted and attacked specifically because of an old case they handled. Under the old rules, their family might have been out of luck; under this Act (Section 2), they are now eligible for benefits.

The Retroactive Catch-Up

What makes this Act particularly impactful is that it doesn't just look forward. The changes take effect immediately upon signing, but they also apply retroactively to incidents that occurred on or after January 1, 2012. This is a big deal because it means families who suffered a loss years ago, but were previously excluded from the PSODB program, can now file a claim. If you’re a family member of a retired officer who was attacked and killed for job-related reasons over the last decade, this bill could finally provide financial security.

The Real-World Complexity

While the intent is clearly beneficial—providing a safety net for those who continue to face threats even after retirement—there is one area that might get sticky: proving the link between the attack and the past service. The Bureau of Justice Assistance, which manages the program, will have to determine if an attack was truly "targeted" and "directly caused" by the officer's former role. This kind of language, while necessary to prevent abuse, leaves room for interpretation and potential disputes over causality. For the families seeking benefits, documenting that crucial link will be the most important step in the claims process. Ultimately, this Act is about recognizing that for some public servants, the danger doesn’t clock out when they hang up their badge.