This message from the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), which administers the federal Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, notes that under federal law, conditions caused by infectious diseases, viruses, and bacteria may be found to be an injury sustained in the line of duty.
This message is issued in the context of the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19. It explains that establishing eligibility for benefits under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) Act and its implementing regulations requires that the evidence show it to be more likely than not that an officer's infection or death from the COVID-19 virus resulted from exposure to the virus while performing a line-of-duty or public safety activity. As the PSOB Office receives claims based on COVID-19 exposure, it will work closely with survivors, officers, and agencies to obtain the evidence needed to support each claim. Contact information is provided.