Peter Deutsch: “Mr. Chairman, the impetus for this amendment came out of an incident in my district where two Plantation police…”

“Mr. Chairman, the impetus for this amendment came out of an incident in my district where two Plantation police officers, Officers Alu and O'Hara, responded to a hostage situation. In their response to the hostage situation where there were two young girls being held by someone, they went into a residential home. The gentleman set fire to himself and the two girls as well as the two police officers. The gentleman and two girls were killed. The two police officers were in critical condition. One officer, burned over 80 percent of his body, ended up spending 6 rac{1}{2} ext{ months in intensive care. During the initial period when they entered the hospital, they found out unfortunately that if they remain permanently disabled they would in fact lose their health care coverage for themselves and their family. They would be able to purchase COBRA coverage for 18 months. COBRA coverage, as most people know, is very expensive. But after that 18-month period they would become essentially uninsurable. What this amendment would do is, throughout the country--the city of Plantation retroactively changed its ordinance, the State of Florida in its last session has required every jurisdiction in the State of Florida to continue health care benefits in the case of a law enforcement officer actively pursuing a criminal investigation or incident like that--to continue benefits. It does not require additional benefits.”