This bill establishes the Office of Emergency Responder Survivor Support and Navigation within the Department of Treasury, aimed at assisting beneficiaries of emergency responders who have died in the line of duty. The office will be led by a survivor support liaison and will include at least three additional employees, all of whom must be beneficiaries of first responders who have died in the line of duty. The office's responsibilities include helping beneficiaries apply for various government and private survivor benefits, providing summaries of eligible benefits, and maintaining ongoing communication with beneficiaries throughout the application process.
The bill appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Fund to support the office's operations. It is designated as the Captain Augusto Acabous, Wayne Brooks, and Plainfield Firefighter Marques Hudsons act, honoring the memory of Captains Acabou and Brooks, who lost their lives while responding to a fire at Port Newark, and firefighter Marques Hudson, who died in a house fire in Plainfield, NJ. The act is intended to ensure that the families of fallen emergency responders receive the support and benefits they are entitled to during their time of need.