Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) introduced HR 8458, the Police Radiation Exposure Benefits (PATROL) Act to extend disability benefits to law enforcement officers who lost their lives or were permanently disabled due to clandestine lab radiation exposure, which is not currently covered under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) Program.

“Every day, America’s law enforcement officers run toward danger and put themselves at risk,” said Rep. Owens. “Working hand-in-hand with police officers in Utah, we corrected a decades-old injustice within the Public Safety Officer Benefits Program, which failed to cover disability benefits for the countless officers who suffered from or lost their lives to rare cancers from chemical exposures while dismantling clandestine labs. The PATROL Act rights this wrong and delivers much-needed support for our men and women in blue.”

“The implementation of this bill recognizes the sacrifice of the lives of many cops across the country that literally gave their lives to prevent these dangerous drugs from hitting our streets. Gratitude will never be enough to thank Representative Owens and his staff for carrying this torch that has been decades in the making.” – Brent Jex, President of the Utah State Fraternal Order of Police

Specifically, the Police Radiation Exposure Benefits Act requires the Attorney General to clarify the definition the term “injury” in section 32.3 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, to specifically include radiation exposure at a clandestine laboratory.

Original co-sponsors include Reps. John Curtis (UT-03), Chris Stewart (UT-02), and Blake Moore (UT-01). 

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