Publications

On Capitol Hill

On May 5, members of the ACU Advisory Committee lobbied their representatives on Capitol Hill in favor of the following pieces of legislation.

Still Fighting For...

The Corrections Officers Health and Safety Act of 1997. See cover article.

The National Program for Families of Slain Public Safety Officers. This bill to establish a program to support and counsel the families of slain public safety officers, including COs, has passed the House as H.R. 3565 and is now in the Senate. AFSCME continues to lobby hard in support of this bill, which it hopes will pass this year.

Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement Officers. A 1996 law made it illegal for anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to possess a firearm. Despite concerted opposition, AFSCME is actively supporting bills in the House (H.R. 26) and in the Senate (S. 262) that would ensure that the law is only applied to convictions made after the law was passed.

Call 1-800-732-8120 to be connected with your member of Congress and ask him or her to support or co-sponsor the preceding bills.

Victory!

Bulletproof Vests. Thanks to lobbying by ACU members and staff, Congress passed a law this spring establishing a $25 million matching grant program to help state and local jurisdictions purchase armored vests for use by law enforcement departments.

Scholarships for Dependents of Corrections Officers. This legislation would provide financial assistance for higher education to the dependents of all public safety officers, including COs, who are killed or permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty. Again, thanks to lobbying by ACU members and representatives, this bill looks very likely to pass this year.

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