S2078-119

This bill substantially increases the financial benefits paid to families of federal civilian employees who die in the line of duty. It creates a new $100,000 death gratuity payment (adjusted annually for inflation using the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index) to be paid by the employing agency from its existing salary appropriations. The bill establishes a clear order of payment precedence (designated beneficiary, then spouse, then children, parents, estate). It raises the funeral expense allowance from $800 to $8,800 with annual inflation adjustments. For civilian employees killed in connection with military service (under 5 USC 8102a), the bill removes the 'up to' qualifier on the existing $100,000 gratuity, adds inflation adjustments, prevents reduction by other federal death benefits, and adds an estate fallback for cases with no eligible survivors. The bill also updates the Foreign Service Act to align death gratuity procedures with the new Title 5 framework, including an offset to prevent double payment. Emergency supplemental appropriations are authorized when agencies cannot cover death gratuity costs, and the bill imposes agency notification requirements and GAO annual reporting and audit obligations.