Thin Blue Line Act
reintroduced
NAPO’s priority legislation, the Thin
Blue Line Act, was reintroduced as H.R.
99 by Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-
FL) on Jan. 3. NAPO once again pledged
our support for this important bill,
which increases penalties on those who
harm or target for harm public safety of-
ficers by making the murder or attempt-
ed murder of a local law enforcement
officer, firefighter or first responder an
aggravating factor in death-penalty determinations in federal
court. This would be applicable whether they were targeted or
murdered on duty, because of the performance of their duty,
or because of their status as a public official. The only require-
ment is that the homicide provide federal jurisdiction.
This bill is critical, as law enforcement officer assaults, inju-
ries and deaths have increased sharply in recent years. Every
year, the number of officers killed by firearms has increased.
Fifty-two officers were shot and killed in the line of duty in
2018, a 13 percent increase over 2017. Establishing stricter
penalties for those who harm or target for harm law enforce-
ment officers will deter violent crime. Any persons contem-
plating harming an officer must know that they will face se-
rious punishments. NAPO strongly believes that increased
penalties make important differences in
the attitudes of criminals toward public
safety officers and ensure protection for
the community.
NAPO Supports Reintroduction of Bill
to Repeal GPO and WEP
Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL) re-
introduced the Social Security Fairness
Act (H.R. 141), which has already gained
72 bipartisan cosponsors since it was dropped on Jan. 3. This
legislation, which would totally repeal both the Government
Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision
(WEP), continues to be a top priority for NAPO.
Though most law enforcement officers must retire after spe-
cific time served — usually in their early to mid-50s, many look
for new opportunities to serve their community. Yet when they
retire from a job that doesn’t pay into Social Security and move
into one that does, they are penalized by WEP. Instead of re-
ceiving full support from their rightfully earned Social Security
retirement benefit, their pension heavily offsets it, thus vastly
reducing the amount they receive.
More troubling is the effect of GPO on a law enforcement
officer’s retirement. If a spouse who paid into Social Security
dies, the surviving public safety officer should be eligible for
half of the deceased’s benefit. However, GPO requires that this
amount be offset by two thirds of the survivor’s pension, elimi-
nating most or all of the payment. By professional need, many
law enforcement officers are outside of Social Security; but if
they had not served at all, they would receive the full allotment
of the spouse’s benefit.
NAPO on the Hill: LEOSA Reform
On Jan. 10, NAPO met with Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE)
to discuss the reintroduction of the LEOSA Reform Act. During
the meeting, Congressman Bacon stated that this legislation is
a top priority for him in this Congress, and he will expend ev-
ery effort to pass it. He is aiming to reintroduce the bill before
Presidents Day (Feb. 18) but does not want this important is-
sue to get lost in the coverage of the federal government shut-
down. NAPO is part of a broad coalition of law enforcement
organizations supporting this legislation, and we are working
to attain as many bipartisan cosponsors as possible to sign on
to the bill prior to its reintroduction.
NAPO worked tirelessly with members of Congress to en-
act the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) in 2004
to rightly allow off-duty and retired law enforcement officers
to carry their firearms for the protection of themselves, their
families and our nation’s communities. Since its enactment,
we have pushed for and supported several amendments to
improve its implementation to ensure that the law is easily,
fairly and broadly implemented across the country. However,
qualified off-duty and retired officers continue to encounter
roadblocks when exercising their right to carry under LEOSA.
28
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ FEBRUARY 2019