This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Lawmakers moved to expand the proposed Bradley Haas Act to provide a death benefit not only to the family of the fallen security officer but also to other security officers who may be killed in the line of duty.
Senate Bill 604, named after former Franklin Police Chief Bradley Haas who was killed last year during a shooting at the New Hampshire Hospital, was initially introduced to offer a $100,000 death benefit to Haas’s family.
Haas was fatally shot by a former patient in November while carrying out his duties in the hospital’s lobby.
At the House Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday, Rep. Dan McGuire challenged the notion of singling out one individual or family for such support.
It doesn’t feel “constitutional to vote for the benefit for a specific group, family, person,” he said.
He proposed an amendment to rectify this perceived inequity by extending a similar benefit to other security officers facing similar circumstances.
“This particular case is one that should have such a benefit,” said Rep. McGuire. “They [amendments] make Haas’ situation get the benefit in a more general way and the Haas family does benefit.”
If Haas had been a sworn law enforcement officer at the time of his death, his family would have received the benefits, but he was a part-time security officer.
Despite the amendment’s unanimous approval by the House Finance Committee, Sen. Lou D’Allesandro stood in opposition.
“I think what we were asking for was a one-time situation, this is a unique situation,” he said, explaining that he had a conversation with Haas’ family. “This was a way to take care of the individual who gave his life saving people and just did the right thing.”
The amendment also includes a provision to support full-time security officers’ families with benefits in the case of suicide caused by job-related stress.
“I think there’s plenty of time to do that as an independent piece of legislation. We could certainly talk about that,” said Sen. D’Allessandro. “But I would prefer that it not be amended.”
