Patrick Leahy: “I rise to join my good friend Senator Mikulski in introducing the Law Enforcement Officers Retirement Equity Act of…”

“I rise to join my good friend Senator Mikulski in introducing the Law Enforcement Officers Retirement Equity Act of 2002. This bill would correct an inequity that exists under current law, whereby U.S. Customs Service and INS Inspectors as well as revenue agents from the IRS are denied the same retirement benefits provided to other law enforcement officers. I have introduced a similar bill, S. 1828, with the support of Senator Hatch and Senator Mikulski, which would provide similar benefits to the Nation's Federal prosecutors, who are now more than ever facing the immense dangers and challenges of the war on terrorism. Both measures are long overdue and important corrections in the Federal law. This bill would increase the retirement benefits given to federal INS and Customs inspectors and IRS Revenue agents by including them as 'law enforcement officers,' LEOs, under the Federal Employees' Retirement System and the Civil Service Retirement System. The relevant provisions of the United States Code dealing with retirement benefits define an LEO as an employee whose duties are 'primarily the investigation, apprehension, or detention' of individuals suspected or convicted of violating Federal law. Under that definition, it is inconceivable that Customs and INS Inspectors and IRS Revenue Agents would not be included, yet they are not.”