Authorizing Legislation

PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER MEDAL OF VALOR
ACT OF 2001

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115 STAT. 20

PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001

Public Law 107–12
107th Congress
An Act
May 30, 2001
[H.R. 802]
Public Safety
Officer Medal of
Valor Act of
2001.
42 USC 15201
note.
42 USC 15201.

To authorize the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Public Safety Officer Medal
of Valor Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MEDAL.

After September 1, 2001, the President may award, and present
in the name of Congress, a Medal of Valor of appropriate design,
with ribbons and appurtenances, to a public safety officer who
is cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of
the Medal of Valor Review Board, for extraordinary valor above
and beyond the call of duty. The Public Safety Medal of Valor
shall be the highest national award for valor by a public safety
officer.
42 USC 15202.

Congress.
President.

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SEC. 3. MEDAL OF VALOR BOARD.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD.—There is established a Medal
of Valor Review Board (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
‘‘Board’’), which shall be composed of 11 members appointed in
accordance with subsection (b) and shall conduct its business in
accordance with this Act.
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—
(1) MEMBERS.—The members of the Board shall be individuals with knowledge or expertise, whether by experience or
training, in the field of public safety, of which—
(A) two shall be appointed by the majority leader of
the Senate;
(B) two shall be appointed by the minority leader of
the Senate;
(C) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House
of Representatives;
(D) two shall be appointed by the minority leader of
the House of Representatives; and
(E) three shall be appointed by the President, including
one with experience in firefighting, one with experience
in law enforcement, and one with experience in emergency
services.
(2) TERM.—The term of a Board member shall be 4 years.
(3) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the membership of the
Board shall not affect the powers of the Board and shall be
filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

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PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001

115 STAT. 21

(4) OPERATION OF THE BOARD.—
(A) CHAIRMAN.—The Chairman of the Board shall be
elected by the members of the Board from among the
members of the Board.
(B) MEETINGS.—The Board shall conduct its first
meeting not later than 90 days after the appointment of
the last member appointed of the initial group of members
appointed to the Board. Thereafter, the Board shall meet
at the call of the Chairman of the Board. The Board shall
meet not less often than twice each year.
(C) VOTING AND RULES.—A majority of the members
shall constitute a quorum to conduct business, but the
Board may establish a lesser quorum for conducting
hearings scheduled by the Board. The Board may establish
by majority vote any other rules for the conduct of the
Board’s business, if such rules are not inconsistent with
this Act or other applicable law.
(c) DUTIES.—The Board shall select candidates as recipients
of the Medal of Valor from among those applications received by
the National Medal of Valor Office. Not more often than once
each year, the Board shall present to the Attorney General the
name or names of those it recommends as Medal of Valor recipients.
In a given year, the Board shall not be required to select any
recipients but may not select more than 5 recipients. The Attorney
General may in extraordinary cases increase the number of recipients in a given year. The Board shall set an annual timetable
for fulfilling its duties under this Act.
(d) HEARINGS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board may hold such hearings, sit
and act at such times and places, administer such oaths, take
such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Board considers advisable to carry out its duties.
(2) WITNESS EXPENSES.—Witnesses requested to appear
before the Board may be paid the same fees as are paid to
witnesses under section 1821 of title 28, United States Code.
The per diem and mileage allowances for witnesses shall be
paid from funds appropriated to the Board.
(e) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Board may
secure directly from any Federal department or agency such
information as the Board considers necessary to carry out its duties.
Upon the request of the Board, the head of such department or
agency may furnish such information to the Board.
(f) INFORMATION TO BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.—The Board shall
not disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing
law enforcement investigation or is otherwise required by law to
be kept confidential.
SEC. 4. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS.

Deadline.

42 USC 15203.

(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—(1) Except as provided in
paragraph (2), each member of the Board shall be compensated
at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic
pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section
5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel
time) during which such member is engaged in the performance
of the duties of the Board.

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115 STAT. 22

PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001
(2) All members of the Board who serve as officers or employees
of the United States, a State, or a local government, shall serve
without compensation in addition to that received for those services.
(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Board shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence,
at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter
I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from
their homes or regular places of business in the performance of
service for the Board.

42 USC 15204.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER.—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.
(2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands.
42 USC 15205.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
Establishment.
42 USC 15206.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL MEDAL OF VALOR OFFICE.

There is established within the Department of Justice a
National Medal of Valor Office. The Office shall provide staff support to the Board to establish criteria and procedures for the submission of recommendations of nominees for the Medal of Valor and
for the final design of the Medal of Valor.
SEC. 8. CONFORMING REPEAL.

Section 15 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act
of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2214) is amended—
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following
new subsection (a):
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established an honorary
award for the recognition of outstanding and distinguished service
by public safety officers to be known as the Director’s Award For
Distinguished Public Safety Service (‘Director’s Award’).’’;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking paragraph (1); and
(B) by striking ‘‘(2)’’;
(3) by striking subsections (c) and (d) and redesignating
subsections (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (c), (d), and (e),
respectively; and
(4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated—
(A) by striking paragraph (1); and
(B) by striking ‘‘(2)’’.
42 USC 15207.

SEC. 9. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.

The Board shall consult with the Institute of Heraldry within
the Department of Defense regarding the design and artistry of

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PUBLIC LAW 107–12—MAY 30, 2001

115 STAT. 23

the Medal of Valor. The Board may also consider suggestions
received by the Department of Justice regarding the design of
the medal, including those made by persons not employed by the
Department.
Approved May 30, 2001.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 802 (S. 39):
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 107–15 (Comm. on the Judiciary).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 147 (2001):
Mar. 22, considered and passed House.
May 14, considered and passed Senate.

Æ

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