Increases accidental death benefit for surviving spouse or surviving children of certain PERS members and retirants; provides accidental death benefit to beneficiary of certain PERS and PFRS members and retirants; redefines child.
Impact
The bill also amends the definition of a 'child' qualifying for the benefit, expanding it to include unmarried children over the age of 18 who are still in school or disabled. Furthermore, the bill provides retroactive adjustments for benefits relating to deaths occurring on or after September 11, 2001. This retrospective application means that families who were previously denied benefits due to stricter definitions or lesser compensation rates may now receive higher payments or qualify for benefits they previously couldn’t claim. Such revisions may reduce the financial strain on these families and ensure they receive necessary support during challenging times.
Summary
Bill A2428 seeks to enhance the accidental death benefit provided to the surviving spouse or children of members and retirants of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). Specifically, the bill proposes increasing the death benefit from 50% to 70% of the member's last year of compensation for these beneficiaries when a law enforcement officer, correction officer, or firefighter dies as a result of an accident occurring in the performance of duty. This adjustment is intended to offer better financial security to families of public safety personnel who sacrifice their safety while serving the community.
Contention
Some points of contention may arise regarding the retroactive nature of the benefits and amendments to existing laws. There are concerns regarding the potential financial impact this could have on state resources, especially with increased demands on the PERS. Additionally, there may be discussions surrounding how the adjustments to benefit definitions could lead to an influx of claims, possibly overwhelming administrative processes. Stakeholders may also debate the appropriateness of retroactive benefits for cases perceived as ambiguous or unfair, which may pose challenges in implementation and eligibility verification.
Same As
Increases accidental death benefit for surviving spouse or surviving children of certain PERS members and retirants; provides accidental death benefit to beneficiary of certain PERS and PFRS members and retirants; redefines child.
Carry Over
Increases accidental death benefit for surviving spouse or surviving children of certain PERS members and retirants; provides accidental death benefit to beneficiary of certain PERS and PFRS members and retirants; redefines child.
Carry Over
Increases accidental death benefit for surviving spouse or surviving children of certain PERS members and retirants; provides accidental death benefit to beneficiary of certain PERS and PFRS members and retirants; redefines child.
Increases accidental death benefit for surviving spouse or surviving children of certain PERS members and retirants; provides accidental death benefit to beneficiary of certain PERS and PFRS members and retirants; redefines child.
Increases accidental death benefit for surviving spouse or surviving children of certain PERS members and retirants; provides accidental death benefit to beneficiary of certain PERS and PFRS members and retirants; redefines child.
Permits companion to receive PFRS accidental death pension when there is no surviving spouse; requires adjustment of final compensation for calculation of accidental death benefit for surviving spouse, companion, and children of PFRS members.
Permits companion to receive PFRS accidental death pension when there is no surviving spouse; requires adjustment of final compensation for calculation of accidental death benefit for surviving spouse, companion, and children of PFRS members.
Permits surviving spouses of certain members to retain accidental death benefits upon remarriage; provides for regaining of any such lost benefits prior to the rule change.