A KC paramedic was just killed. Missouri may soon end payments to families like his
The family of fatally stabbed Kansas City firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman may receive a one-time, $25,000 payment from Missouri, under a state law that provides death benefits to the survivors of first responders killed in the line of duty.
But Hoffman’s next of kin could be among the last to receive the benefit unless Missouri lawmakers act soon.
A Missouri law that authorizes the death benefit payments will expire on June 19 unless the General Assembly reauthorizes it. Even before Hoffman’s death on Sunday, lawmakers were already quietly scrambling to avoid a lapse in the program.
Lawmakers also want to substantially increase the size of the payment. Bills offered this year would set the payment at $100,000 and link future increases to inflation.
Missouri has one of the smallest death benefit payments for firefighters who die on the job, according to a review by The Star of information compiled by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. At least 29 states offer larger death benefit payments; nine states offer none.
“I think at least it’s a little bit more of a meaningful response to have, you know, at minimum, $100,000 in benefits go to the victim and their family. I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat.
The stabbing of Hoffman occurred in Nurrenbern’s district. Hoffman was transporting Shanetta Bossell to a hospital just after 1 a.m. when, Clay County prosecutors allege, she fatally stabbed him. Bossell has been charged with first-degree murder.
“I think 25,000, you know, to me is, you know, a fairly nominal amount. I think again, it’s a step in the right direction,” Nurrenbern said of raising the benefit to $100,000. “I obviously hope that we would be able to do even more. But I think this is something that we’ve been looking at.”
Missouri law set the payment at $25,000 in 2009. Fifteen Kansas City Fire Department firefighters have died in the line of duty since then, according to a list kept by IAFF Local 42, which represents department firefighters.
The death benefit payment is just one element in a web of resources for surviving family members of law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and others who die in the line of duty. Pension funds, as well as local and federal benefits, may also be accessible.
But the state death benefit can prove crucial as expenses quickly pile up, especially for families in which the first responder was the sole or primary income earner.
“That current $25,000 is some immediate breathing room for the public safety workers that qualify for that,” said Larry Jennings, president of the Fire Fighters Association of Missouri. “The $100,000 just gives you that much more time and options on making sure you move forward correctly and not have to rush into making rash decisions.”
Even as Jennings, chief of the Johnson County, Missouri, Fire Protection District, voiced support for increasing the size of the payment, he emphasized the importance of reauthorizing the program before it expires – an accomplishment that will require a supermajority of lawmakers.
While the program will sunset in June, most bills passed by the General Assembly typically take effect in August. That means first responders could experience a gap in the availability of the benefit unless lawmakers pass a bill on an emergency basis to force it to take effect immediately.
Including a so-called emergency clause in a bill requires a two-thirds majority vote in the House and Senate.
“The amount definitely has been talked about from time to time. I think it’s been presented a couple times in the past,” Jennings said. “The critical thing that came up this year was that sunset that’s hitting this year.”
“And quite honestly, I think that kind of got by most of us and was kind of an ‘oh my goodness, we’re about to the end’ and it’s just one of those things that kind of got overlooked, I think.”
Lawmakers trying to save payments
As the May 16 end of the General Assembly’s annual session approaches, lawmakers have been trying to get the death benefit reauthorization into a bill likely to become law.
Among the furthest along in the process is Senate Bill 71, which would extend the program until 2031 and raise the benefit to $100,000. Versions of the bill have passed the House and Senate. It’s now in a conference committee, where lawmakers are negotiating a final, compromise bill.
Sen. David Gregory, a St. Louis County Republican sponsoring the bill, said $25,000 “is not going to be life-changing for anyone,” and increasing the amount to $100,000 is critical.
“It’s the very least we can do for any family that’s made the ultimate sacrifice,” Gregory said.
Rep. Phil Amato, an Arnold Republican who has introduced his own bill to keep the death benefit available, said Gov. Mike Kehoe has become aware of the looming sunset and has asked to have extensions included in bills. Kehoe campaigned last year as an ally of law enforcement and first responders.
In a statement, Kehoe spokeswoman Gabby Picard said the governor “extends his deepest condolences and prayers to the loved ones of Graham Hoffman and the entire Kansas City Fire Department on this tragic loss. No first responder should ever have to face this type of senseless violence.”
“The governor is supportive of the survivor benefit for Missouri first responders killed in the line of duty and looks forward to reviewing legislation that continues this critical benefit once it reaches his desk,” Picard said.
Amato wants the benefit raised to $100,000 but said if lawmakers can’t accomplish that this year, he’ll potentially seek incremental increases next year. The current $25,000 payment used to go a lot further, he said.
Amato’s father worked for the St. Louis Police Department and his cousin was a homicide detective.
“I think of those guys every day, and I kind of would like to get this to the finish line in their honor,” Amato said.
This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 4:47 PM.
