Legislative Alert: The Line of Duty Act Needs Your Help
On June 16, 2023, Officer Mark Christopher Wagner II, age 31 was fatally shot while responding to a violent attack in Wintergreen. On February 2, 2022, Bridgewater College Police Officer John Painter and Campus Safety Officer Vashon J.J. Jefferson were also shot and killed while responding to an active shooter on campus. Because all three of these officers were employed by privately funded police forces and not part of publicly funded local or state law enforcement agencies, their families were not eligible for line of duty benefits available to families of publicly funded police departments.
To address this omission, Senators Creigh Deeds (D) and Mark Obenshain (R) sponsored Senate Bill 466 which would expand the Line of Duty Act to include private police forces that choose to participate. This bill makes a $100,000 death benefit available to those families, as well as benefits for officers disabled in the line of duty.
The new benefits would be available only to officers in private police forces who chose to participate, and the entire cost of participation would be paid by the private police forces with no cost to the state. It’s also important to remember these private police forces, like the ones that employed these officers, supplement and frequently work with local law enforcement for the benefit of the entire community.
We in Nelson County know that police and safety officers like Chris Wagner, John Painter and Vashon J.J. Jefferson put their lives on the line every day to protect us and when one of them is killed in the line of duty, we have an obligation to do what we can to protect their families. The Senate Bill that passed unanimously last week will be sent to House of Delegates this week. The Line of Duty Act needs YOUR help. Please write any and all members of the House of Delegates in support of the bill. The email addresses and phone numbers of the Democratic members of the House Committee on Public Safety are below. These individuals are likely to be instrumental in its passing. Since many of the delegates on the committee are from Northern Virginia, please enlist the help of any friends you may still have in Northern Virginia.
Delegate Marcus B. Simon (D) - House District 13 (804) 698-1013 DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Candi Mundon King (D) - House District 23 (804) 698-1023 DelCMundonKing@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Patrick A. Hope (D) - House District 1 (804) 698-1001 DelPHope@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Alfonso H. Lopez (D) - House District 3 (804) 698-1003 DelALopez@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Sam Rasoul (D) - House District 38 (804) 698-1038 DelSRasoul@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Nadarius E. Clark (D) - House District 84 (804) 698-1084 DelNClark@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Dan I. Helmer ((D) - House District 10 (804) 698-1010 DelDHelmer@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Adele Y. McClure (D) - House District 2 (804) 698-1002 DelAMcClure@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Rae Cousins (D) - House District 79 (804) 698-1079 DelRCousins@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Joshua E. Thomas (D) - House District 21 (804) 698-1021 DelJThomas@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Michael B. Feggans (D) - House District 97 (804) 698-1097 DelMFeggans@house.virginia.gov