LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — In a time when the heroism of first responders is often taken for granted, the Michigan Senate has advanced a bill that acknowledges the real-world consequences of that service—particularly for the families impacted by such losses.

What is in the bill?

Senate Bill 834, approved unanimously by the Michigan Senate Veterans and Emergency Services Committee on Sept. 11, proposes doubling the financial compensation provided to families of public safety officers who perish or are permanently disabled in the line of duty, according to The Detroit News.

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Specifically, the bill seeks to raise the one-time payment from $25,000 to $50,000 and now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

“In every corner of our state, we have firefighters, police, paramedics, rescue squad members who put public service above themselves and ensure the safety and security of our neighbors,” State Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), the bill’s sponsor and vice-chairman of the committee, said. 

The current benefit is outdated.

The current $25,000 benefit, established nearly two decades ago, has long been outdated. As Hertel pointed out, the cost of living has escalated since the law was first passed in 2004, making this adjustment not just overdue but necessary.

“This bill would simply double it to make sure we do everything we can as a state … to make sure their families can get by,” Hertel said.

Support for the bill has been universal among Michigan’s public safety unions. The Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union, representing over 5,000 firefighters across the state, and the Police Officers Association of Michigan have both expressed strong support for the bill. 

Montgomery Nye, a vice president of the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union, said that while first responders willingly take on the dangers of the job, their families are the ones left to cope when a life is lost or dramatically altered. He described the bill as an important way for the state to show its support for those families.

What is the financial impact?

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The financial impact on the state is expected to be manageable, given that Michigan has a relatively low number of line-of-duty deaths each year compared to national figures. In 2023, the state saw one police officer and two firefighters lose their lives while on duty, according to national reports.

As the bill heads to the full Senate for a vote, it is expected to receive broad support, particularly in light of the recent bipartisan backing in the committee. 

Should Senate Bill 834 pass, it would bring Michigan’s benefit levels more in line with those in other states like Arizona and California, where similar updates have been made in recent years.