public safety officer
Defined in 6 places across 5 titles of the United States Code.
"public safety officer" means—
(A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain;
(B) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties;
(C) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties; or
(D) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services.
Same definition in 2 sections
- 2017–201934 U.S.C. § 10284Crime Control and Law Enforcement · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
- 2012–present42 U.S.C. § 3796BThe Public Health and Welfare · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
As used in this section, the term “public safety officer” means a person serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as—
Source
- 1994–200115 U.S.C. § 2214Commerce and Trade · Public safety awards · as used in this section
As used in this section, the term “public safety officer” means a person serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as—
(1) a firefighter;
(2) a law enforcement officer, including a corrections or court officer; or
(3) a civil defense officer.
Source
- 2001–present15 U.S.C. § 2214Commerce and Trade · Public safety awards · as used in this section
For purposes of this subsection, the term “public safety officer” means—
(A) a public safety officer, as defined in section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284); or
(B) a fire police officer, defined as an individual who—
(i) is serving in accordance with State or local law as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency;
(ii) is not a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, a chaplain, or a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew; and
(iii) provides scene security or directs traffic—
(I) in response to any fire drill, fire call, or other fire, rescue, or police emergency; or
(II) at a planned special event.
Source
- 2024–present20 U.S.C. § 1070AEducation · Federal Pell Grants: amount and determinations; applications · under this section
“public safety officer” means—
(A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, as a chaplain, or as a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew;
(B) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties; or
(C) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties.
Source
- 2006–201242 U.S.C. § 3796BThe Public Health and Welfare · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
“public safety officer” means—
(A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, as a chaplain, or as a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew;
(B) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties; or
(C) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties.
Source
- 2002–200642 U.S.C. § 3796BThe Public Health and Welfare · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
"public safety officer" means—
(A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain;
(B) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties;
(C) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties;
(D) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services;
(E) an individual appointed to the National Disaster Medical System under section 300hh–11 of title 42 who is performing official duties of the Department of Health and Human Services, if those official duties are—
(i) related to responding to a public health emergency or potential public health emergency, or other activities for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services has activated such National Disaster Medical System; and
(ii) determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to be hazardous; or
(F) an employee or contractor of the Department of Energy who—
(i) is—
(I) a nuclear materials courier (as defined in section 8331(27) of title 5); or
(II) designated by the Secretary of Energy as a member of an emergency response team; and
(ii) is performing official duties of the Department, pursuant to a deployment order issued by the Secretary, to protect the public, property, or the interests of the United States by—
(I) assessing, locating, identifying, securing, rendering safe, or disposing of weapons of mass destruction (as defined in section 2302 of title 50); or
(II) managing the immediate consequences of a radiological release or exposure.
Source
- 2020–202134 U.S.C. § 10284Crime Control and Law Enforcement · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
"public safety officer" means—
(A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain;
(B) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties;
(C) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties;
(D) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services; or
(E) an individual appointed to the National Disaster Medical System under section 300hh–11 of title 42 who is performing official duties of the Department of Health and Human Services, if those official duties are—
(i) related to responding to a public health emergency or potential public health emergency, or other activities for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services has activated such National Disaster Medical System; and
(ii) determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to be hazardous.
Source
- 2019–202034 U.S.C. § 10284Crime Control and Law Enforcement · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
"public safety officer" means—
(A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain: Provided, That (notwithstanding section 10285(b)(2) or (3) of this title) the Bureau shall, absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary as determined by the Bureau, deem the actions outside of jurisdiction taken by any such law enforcement officer or firefighter, to have been taken while serving such public agency in such capacity, in any case in which the principal legal officer of such public agency, and the head of such agency, together, certify that such actions—
(i) were not unreasonable;
(ii) would have been within the authority and line of duty of such law enforcement officer or such firefighter to take, had they been taken in a jurisdiction where such law enforcement officer or firefighter was authorized to act, in the ordinary course, in an official capacity; and
(iii) would have resulted in the payment of full line-of-duty death or disability benefits (as applicable), if any such benefits typically were payable by (or with respect to or on behalf of) such public agency, as of the date the actions were taken;
(B) a candidate officer who is engaging in an activity or exercise that itself is a formal or required part of the program in which the candidate officer is enrolled or admitted, as provided in this section;
(C) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties;
(D) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties;
(E) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services: Provided, That (notwithstanding section 10285(b)(2) or (3) of this title) the Bureau shall, absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary as determined by the Bureau, deem the actions outside of jurisdiction taken by any such member to have been thus authorized or licensed, in any case in which the principal legal officer of such agency or entity, and the head of such agency or entity, together, certify that such actions—
(i) were not unreasonable;
(ii) would have been within the authority and line of duty of such member to take, had they been taken in a jurisdiction where such member was authorized or licensed by law and by a pertinent agency or entity to act, in the ordinary course; and
(iii) would have resulted in the payment of full line-of-duty death or disability benefits (as applicable), if any such benefits typically were payable by (or with respect to or on behalf of) such applicable agency or entity, as of the date the action was taken;
(F) 2 omitted
(F) 2 an employee or contractor of the Department of Energy who—
(i) is—
(I) a nuclear materials courier (as defined in section 8331(27) of title 5); or
(II) designated by the Secretary of Energy as a member of an emergency response team; and
(ii) is performing official duties of the Department, pursuant to a deployment order issued by the Secretary, to protect the public, property, or the interests of the United States by—
(I) assessing, locating, identifying, securing, rendering safe, or disposing of weapons of mass destruction (as defined in section 2302 of title 50); or
(II) managing the immediate consequences of a radiological release or exposure.
Source
- 2021–202234 U.S.C. § 10284Crime Control and Law Enforcement · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
“public safety officer” means—
(A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain: Provided, That (notwithstanding section 10285(b)(2) or (3) of this title) the Bureau shall, absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary as determined by the Bureau, deem the actions outside of jurisdiction taken by any such law enforcement officer or firefighter, to have been taken while serving such public agency in such capacity, in any case in which the principal legal officer of such public agency, and the head of such agency, together, certify that such actions—
(i) were not unreasonable;
(ii) would have been within the authority and line of duty of such law enforcement officer or such firefighter to take, had they been taken in a jurisdiction where such law enforcement officer or firefighter was authorized to act, in the ordinary course, in an official capacity; and
(iii) would have resulted in the payment of full line-of-duty death or disability benefits (as applicable), if any such benefits typically were payable by (or with respect to or on behalf of) such public agency, as of the date the actions were taken;
(B) a candidate officer who is engaging in an activity or exercise that itself is a formal or required part of the program in which the candidate officer is enrolled or admitted, as provided in this section;
(C) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties;
(D) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties;
(E) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services: Provided, That (notwithstanding section 10285(b)(2) or (3) of this title) the Bureau shall, absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary as determined by the Bureau, deem the actions outside of jurisdiction taken by any such member to have been thus authorized or licensed, in any case in which the principal legal officer of such agency or entity, and the head of such agency or entity, together, certify that such actions—
(i) were not unreasonable;
(ii) would have been within the authority and line of duty of such member to take, had they been taken in a jurisdiction where such member was authorized or licensed by law and by a pertinent agency or entity to act, in the ordinary course; and
(iii) would have resulted in the payment of full line-of-duty death or disability benefits (as applicable), if any such benefits typically were payable by (or with respect to or on behalf of) such applicable agency or entity, as of the date the action was taken;
(F) omitted
(G) an employee or contractor of the Department of Energy who—
(i) is—
(I) a nuclear materials courier (as defined in section 8331(27) of title 5); or
(II) designated by the Secretary of Energy as a member of an emergency response team; and
(ii) is performing official duties of the Department, pursuant to a deployment order issued by the Secretary, to protect the public, property, or the interests of the United States by—
(I) assessing, locating, identifying, securing, rendering safe, or disposing of weapons of mass destruction (as defined in section 2302 of title 50); or
(II) managing the immediate consequences of a radiological release or exposure.
Source
- 2022–present34 U.S.C. § 10284Crime Control and Law Enforcement · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
“public safety officer” means—
(A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew;
(B) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties; or
(C) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
(i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
(ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties.
Source
- 2000–200242 U.S.C. § 3796BThe Public Health and Welfare · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
“public safety officer” means an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, or rescue squad or ambulance crew 1
Source
- 1994–200042 U.S.C. § 3796BThe Public Health and Welfare · Definitions · as used in this subchapter
The term “public safety officer” means a person serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or emergency services officer, as determined by the Attorney General. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “law enforcement officer” includes a person who is a corrections or court officer or a civil defense officer.
Source
- 2001–present42 U.S.C. § 15204The Public Health and Welfare · Definitions · in this chapter
the term "public safety officer" means an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain; and
Source
- 2016–present2 U.S.C. § 1881The Congress · Definitions · in this subchapter