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“INTRODUCING THE TEACHER VICTIMS' FAMILY ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2002” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E79-E80 on Jan. 28, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCING THE TEACHER VICTIMS' FAMILY ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2002
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HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS
of florida
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, a study conducted by the National School Safety Center on School Associated Violent Deaths notes that between 1992 and 2001, 33 teachers, school administrators, school employees, or volunteers, were fatal victims of school violence. This means that during that nine-year period, a teacher, school administrator or some other school employee in America was killed while performing the duties of his or her job every fourteen weeks.
A similar study done by the U.S. Department of Justice last year stated that teachers, school administrators and other school employees accounted for nearly 10 percent of all fatalities from school violence on campuses nationwide. Even more disturbing is that the majority of faculty fatalities occurred when a school employee attempted to stop a fight or some type of disagreement between students or other faculty members. In trying to stop school violence, these school employees became victims of school violence themselves.
On May 26, 2000, my district was struck with horror when a thirteen year old student walked into Lake Worth Middle School and shot and killed his teacher, Mr. Barry Grunow. While this tragic event once again raised the important issues of school safety, gun control, and the minimum age at which a child can be tried as an adult, to the Grunow family, the tragic death of Barry Grunow has meant much more.
In addition to the painful loss of a father and husband, Barry Grunow's death had a long-term affect on the entire Grunow family. Barry's death meant that, within six months, the entire Grunow family would find themselves without health care coverage; Barry's death meant that the Grunow family would incur added and unexpected expenses; and, ultimately, Barry's death means one less income that can be used to support Pam Grunow and her two children in the years to come.
In Spring 2001, the Florida State Legislature passed and the Governor signed the Barry Grunow Act, a measure that provided death benefits to the spouses and children of victims of school violence. Today, I come to the floor of the House of Representatives to say that it is time for Congress to follow Florida's lead and pass a similar measure.
I rise today to reintroduce the Teacher Victims' Assistance Act of 2002. The 108th Congress is the second consecutive Congress that I have introduced this legislation. Similar to Florida's Barry Grunow Act, the Teacher Victims' Assistance Act places teachers, school administrators, school employees and school volunteers in the same high-risk category in which we currently place many of country's most important role models.
My bill provides the spouses and children of educators who are killed as a result of school violence with the following death benefits: a one-time death benefit of $75,000, $1,500 to be used to assist with any funeral expenses, $900 per month in living assistance to the victims' surviving spouse, $225 per month in living assistance to each dependent of the victim until the age of 17, $7,500 per year, for up to five years, for each dependent to be used to pay for college or other forms of higher education before the age of 25, opportunity to enroll in the Medicare health benefits program, and exempts the family members from having to pay any accumulated income tax by the victim as a result of school employment.
Mr. Speaker, never before has Congress made the historic statement that we need to compensate the families of educators who are victims of school violence. Many of us understand that violence in our schools is virtually impossible to eliminate completely. However, it is possible for Congress to ensure every educator in the country that if another school shooting such as those which occurred at Lake Worth High School, the future of educators' families shall never be in jeopardy.
The Teacher Victims' Family Assistance Act of 2003 makes such a commitment, and I urge my colleagues to pass it immediately.
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