Bills
| 3.23.22

Should First Responders Who Died of 9/11-Linked Health Conditions be Eligible for the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor? (H.R. 3834)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 3834?

(Updated July 24, 2019)

This bill was enacted on November 3, 2018

This bill would make eligible for the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor any public safety officer who participated in the response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and died because of such participation as a result of a World Trade Center-related health condition.

Argument in favor

This is a commonsense bill that recognizes the sacrifices of first responders who died of illnesses stemming from their work at Ground Zero responding to the 9/11 terrorist attack.

Argument opposed

While it may be well-intended, first responders who died of health conditions stemming from their work at Ground Zero responding to the 9/11 terrorist attack shouldn’t be eligible for the medal.

Impact

Public safety officers who died from health related conditions from participating in the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Cost of H.R. 3834

A CBO cost estimate unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Joseph Crowley  (D-NY) introduced this bill on Sept. 26, 2017  to recognize the heroism of public safety officers who responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 and subsequently died of 9/11-related health conditions:

“The Medal of Valor is but a small token of appreciation for the bravery and strength of the men and women who sacrificed their lives answering the call in our nation’s darkest hour.  We lost hundreds of public servants that day, but many more have since been taken from us, succumbing to 9/11 related illnesses. They too are heroes and deserving of this recognition. America has not forgotten them and we are eternally grateful for their service.”

This bill has been referred to the House Committee on Financial Services and has the support of 31 cosponsors, including 26 Democrats and 5 Republicans.


Of Note: The 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor was first awarded on September 9, 2005 to 442 public safety officers who were killed in the line of duty on September 11, 2001.

The original Medal of Valor was created through an executive order by President Bill Clinton. Before the establishment of the Medal of Valor, there were no federal awards to specifically acknowledge the heroic deeds by public safety officers throughout the U.S.


Media:

Summary by Tyler Taggart

(Photo Credit: DMZ111 via Flickr / Creative Commons)