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To require benefit eligibility determinations to be made within a certain period of time.
Summary
The Officer John Barnes Act amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require the Bureau to provide a timely determination on benefit eligibility claims. The bill establishes a 270-calendar-day deadline for the Bureau to inform claimants of its eligibility determination after receiving a claim. This requirement applies to all claims filed under the relevant subpart of the federal crime control law governing these benefits. The deadline creates an enforceable timeline for processing what was previously a process without a specified completion date. The bill aims to ensure law enforcement-related benefit claims receive a decision within a reasonable timeframe.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX)
4 cosponsors
- Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] (R-LA)
- Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] (R-ND)
- Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV] (R-WV)
- Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK] (R-OK)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Ted Cruz’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $4,424,745
- ENTREPRENEUR $458,096
- RDV CORPORATION $39,600
- AMERICAN AIRLINES $29,632
- BLACKSTONE $27,400
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Ted Cruz → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Feb 13, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. · senate
- Feb 13, 2025 Introduced in Senate
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 13, 2025
Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Justice, and Mr. Lankford) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To require benefit eligibility determinations to be made within a certain period of time.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Officer John Barnes Act”.
SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION.
Section 1205 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10285) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(f) Not later than 270 calendar days after receiving a claim filed under this subpart, the Bureau shall inform the claimant of the Bureau’s determination as to the claimant’s benefit eligibility.”. <all>
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