The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation ensuring families of retired law enforcement officers killed in retaliation for their service receive federal benefits.
The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, introduced by Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto and Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, now moves to the House for consideration. The bill addresses a gap in the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program that previously denied compensation to families when the officer had already retired.
Who the Bill Honors
The legislation is named after Chief Herbert D. Proffitt, a Kentucky police chief and Korean War veteran who served in law enforcement for 55 years. Chief Proffitt was fatally shot in his driveway on August 28, 2012, by a man he had arrested a decade earlier.
Authorities determined the killing was direct retaliation for his police service, yet his family was denied benefits because he had already retired from the Tompkinsville Police Department in 2009.
The Legislative Push
Cortez Masto initially sought passage of seven pro-law enforcement bills as a package.