Gabe Torres Act to Expand Law Enforcement Death Benefits Moves Forward
On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, members of the North Carolina House and Senate will be joined by members from the Police Benevolent Association and the Police Protective Association to discuss House Bill 363, The Gabe Torres Act.
The Gabe Torres Act fixes a loophole in existing law to ensure the “In Line of Duty” classification and death benefits apply to law enforcement officers who are on their way to work. Current law applies this classification and death benefit only to officers who are responding to, engaged in, or returning from a call by the department or en route to, engaged in, or returning from training.
“The Hedingham tragedy hit close to home,” said Representative Sarah Crawford, who lives near Hedingham and frequently runs on the Neuse River Greenway. “When I learned that Officer Torres, who lost his life in this incident, would not be eligible to be classified as having fallen in the line of duty and that his wife and daughter would not receive ‘in line of duty’ benefits, I knew that we had to change this.”
Gabe Torres was a Raleigh Police Officer who was on his way to work in the late afternoon of October 13, 2022, and was killed by an active shooter. He is not currently considered to have fallen in the line of duty and his family is not eligible to receive the death benefit under current law. If it becomes law, House Bill 363 will change that for the future and for the Torres family because it is retroactive to January 1, 2022.
“Our law enforcement officers are never not officers,” Crawford said. “They respond to the call of duty and put themselves between us and danger every single day. If you are on your way to training and are eligible for in line of duty benefits, that should apply to officers who are on their way to work as well. I am hopeful that we can make this part of Gabe’s legacy for families in the future.”
The bill passed unanimously out of the House Committee on State Personnel and has been referred to the House Committee on Pensions and Retirement.
The primary sponsors of the Gabe Torres Act will speak at a press conference on Wednesday, along with speakers from the Police Benevolent Association and the Police Protective Association. Jasmin Torres, wife of Gabe Torres, is expected to offer remarks as well.
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