WHEREAS:
H.R. 21 (Barr, R-GA) amends the "Lautenberg Law" to make prospective the firearms disability imposed on those persons convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 94 (Green, D-TX), the "Law Enforcement Officers Flag Memorial Act," would provide the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty with a flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 664 (Jefferson, D-LA) would address the "Government Pension Offset" provision in the Social Security Act and amend the level of the reductions in Social Security benefits which are required in the case of spouses and surviving spouses who are also receiving certain government pensions; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 674 (LaFalce, D-NY), the "American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act," would allow local communities greater flexibility in designing homeownership programs for law enforcement officers and other municipal employees through existing CDBG and HOME programs, authorizes one percent (1%) down payments for Federal Housing Authority (FHA) insured home loan mortgages for law enforcement officers and other public safety officers, and also builds on the success of the "Officer Next Door" programs by providing a no down payment incentive to law enforcement officers buying homes in troubled neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS:
H.R.709 (Stupak, D-MI), the "Law Enforcement Officers' Health Act," would withhold ten percent of federal monies awarded under the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant (LLEBG) program from those public safety agencies that do not establish a legal presumption that heart, lung and respiratory diseases are occupational diseases for public safety officers; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 710 (Sununu, R-NH), the "Survivor Benefits Tax Fairness Act," would extend to survivors of public safety officers killed in the line of duty before December 31, 1996, the same tax benefits available to the survivors of such officers killed after such date; and
WHEREAS:
HR. 848 (Sandlin, D-TX), the "Social Security Benefits Restoration Act," would remove the "Windfall Elimination Provision" from the Social Security Act; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 1007 (Stupak, D-MI), the "James Guelff and Chris McCurley Body Armor Act of 1999," would enhance the penalties for persons convicted of a violent offense while wearing body armor, prohibit the use and possession of body armor by convicted violent felons and initiate a program whereby federal surplus body armor can be donated to state and local departments; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 1212 (Barr, R-GA), the "Law Enforcement Officers Due Process Act," would provide grants to law enforcement agencies that ensure that their officers are afforded due process when involved in a case that may lead to dismissal, demotion, suspension, or transfer; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 1475 (Kildee, D-MI), the "Public Employer-Employee Cooperation Act," would recognize the right of law enforcement and other public safety officers to bargain collectively with their employer; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 1626 (Ramstad, R-MN), the "Law Enforcement Officers' Discipline, Accountability and Due Process Act," would protect the due process rights of officers during internal investigations; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 1747 (Kelly, R-NY) would amend 18 USC to prohibit taking a child hostage in order to evade arrest; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 1764 (Strickland, D-OH), the "Public Safety Act," would ensure that the incarceration of inmates is not provided by private contractors or vendors and that persons charged or convicted of an offense against U.S. shall be housed in facilities managed and maintained by federal, state or local governments; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 2009 (Weiner, D-NY), the "PROTECTION Act," would reauthorize the successful COPS program through 2007 to hire and retain police officers, pay overtime and reimburse officers pursuing college and advanced degrees to enhance their job skills, as well as providing federal money for new technology; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 2638 (McKeon, R-CA), the "Social Security Fairness Act," would repeal both the "Windfall Elimination Provision" and the "Government Pension Offset" in current Social Security law; and
WHEREAS:
H.R. 3191 (Roukema, R-NJ), the "Home Ownership Opportunities for Public Safety Officers and Teachers Act," would amend the National Housing Act to provide for a one percent (1 %) down payment (and deferral and reduction of up-front payments) for Federal Housing Administration mortgage loans for qualified elementary and secondary school teachers and administrators and non-federal public safety officers to purchase homes within the jurisdictions of their employing agencies, a fifty percent (50%) discount for teachers and public safety officers purchasing certain properties, and directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to carry out a mortgage assistance pilot program to assist federal, state, and local public safety officers in purchasing primary residences in high-crime areas; and
WHEREAS:
S. 166 (Feinstein, D-CA), the "James Guelff and Chris McCurley Body Armor Act of 1999,"would enhance the penalties for persons convicted of a violent offense while wearing body armor, prohibit the use and possession of body armor by convicted violent felons and initiate a program whereby federal surplus body armor can be donated to state and local departments; and
WHEREAS:
S. 349 (Hutchinson, R-AR), the "Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Act," would authorize the establishment of a National Center for Rural Law Enforcement to assist rural departments with training and other concerns unique to rural areas; and
WHEREAS:
S. 417 (Schumer, D-NY), the "American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act," would allow local communities greater flexibility in designing homeownership programs for law enforcement officers and other municipal employees through existing CDBG and HOME programs, authorizes one percent (1%) down payments for Federal Housing Authority (FHA) insured home loan mortgages for law enforcement officers and other public safety officers, and also builds on the success of the "Officer Next Door" program by providing a no down payment incentive for law enforcement officers buying homes in troubled neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS:
S. 440 (Campbell, R-CO), the "Officer Dale Claxton Bullet Resistant Police Protective Equipment Act," would provide grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to purchase bullet resistant equipment; and
WHEREAS:
S. 441 (Campbell, R-CO), the "Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters Flag Memorial Act," would provide the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty with a flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol; and
WHEREAS:
S 490 (Edwards, D-NC), the "Law Enforcement Officers Due Process Act," would provide grants to law enforcement agencies that ensure that their officers are afforded due process when involved in a case that may lead to dismissal, demotion, suspension, or transfer; and
WHEREAS:
S 611 (Mikulski, D-MD), the "Government Pension Offset Reform Act," would address the "Government Pension Offset" provision in the Social Security Act and amend the level of reductions in Social Security benefits which are required in the case of spouses and surviving spouses who are also receiving certain government pensions; and
WHEREAS:
S. 840 (Biden, D-DE), the "Law Enforcement Officers' Discipline, Accountability and Due Process Act," would protect the due process rights of officers during internal investigations; and
WHEREAS:
S. 842 (Feingold, D-WI), the "Public Safety Act," would require any recipient of a grant under the violent offender incarceration and truth?in?sentencing incentive grant program to assure the Attorney General that no funds will be used to pay a private contractor or vendor to provide core services related to the incarceration of an inmate and amends the Federal criminal code to require the Bureau of Prisons to provide that any penal or correctional facility or institution confining any person convicted of offenses against the United States shall be under the direction of the Director of the Bureau and shall be managed and maintained by federal, state, or local government employees; and
WHEREAS:
S. 899 (Biden, D-DE), the "Frances Collender and Michael J. Dunman Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act," would increase the amount paid to families of public safety officers killed in the line of duty under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits program; and
WHEREAS:
S. 924 (Biden, D-DE), the "PROTECTION Act," would reauthorize the successful COPS program through 2007 to hire and retain police officers, pay overtime and reimburse officers pursuing college and advanced degrees to enhance their job skills as well as providing federal money for new technology; and
WHEREAS:
S. 952 (Gregg, R-NH), the "Public Employer-Employee Cooperation Act," would recognize the right of law enforcement and other public safety officers to bargain collectively with their employers.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME International will support the aforementioned federal legislation, advise affiliates how to assist in promoting the passage of said legislation and keep all affiliates appraised of the progress of and passage into law of the above federal legislation.
SUBMITTED BY:
Gary Waterhouse, President/Executive Director and Delegate
James E. Howell, Vice President and Delegate
Karl Murphy, Recording Secretary
AFSCME Council 15
Connecticut