Councilmembers on Oct. 21 introduced expedited legislation, the HERO Act (employee retirement system — survivor benefits), to expand survivor pension options for firefighters who die in the line of duty and to address delays in benefit processing.

The bill would provide surviving spouses and children of line‑of‑duty firefighters the equivalent of a 20‑year pension regardless of the firefighter’s length of service and would seek to fix processing delays that keep families without payments after a fatal on‑duty incident, sponsors said.

Councilmember Sidney Katz (co‑sponsor) and Councilmember Evan Glass (lead sponsor) said the bill was prompted in part by the 2025 line‑of‑duty death of Master Firefighter Christopher Higgins; Higgins’s widow and family have experienced delays in receiving survivor benefits, the sponsors said. Glass said the bill is intended to “honor those who make the ultimate sacrifice” and to ensure families receive owed benefits without administrative delay.

Several council members asked to be added as cosponsors during the Oct. 21 session. The council scheduled a public hearing on expedited Bill 32‑25 for Nov. 18, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.