House approves Fallen Officer Memorial scholarship with increased award

House Bill 332, the Fallen Officer Memorial Scholarship Program, was presented to the House on Feb. 10 by Representative Thomas Clancy as a small scholarship fund for children whose parent died in the line of duty. The Department of Public Safety will manage the program, Clancy said, and the bill is designed to provide financial support to families following officers’ and firefighters’ deaths.

Representative Ryan Wilcox moved a voice amendment to adjust funding in the bill; the chamber adopted Amendment No. 1 by voice and then approved a second amendment changing the award amount on line 52 to $3,500. "The thousand dollars isn't gonna cover it," Wilcox said on the floor in support of increasing the award. Clancy waived additional discussion and urged support in his summation, saying the scholarship would "answer that question and quell those concerns" for public-safety families.

Voting concluded with the clerk reporting the bill had received 75 yea votes and 0 nay votes. The House amended and passed HB 332 and will transmit it to the Senate for further consideration. The measure includes an ongoing administrative relationship with the Department of Public Safety; no implementation start date beyond standard enactment was specified in the floor remarks.

The House’s action included two floor amendments and a recorded passage; sponsors said the changes were intended to increase the program's practical value for affected families.