2024 -- S 2314

========

LC004518

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- RELIEF OF INJURED AND DECEASED FIRE

FIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Ciccone, Burke, Britto, Bissaillon, and F. Lombardi

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1

     SECTION 1. Section 45-19-4.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-19 entitled "Relief of

2

Injured and Deceased Fire Fighters and Police Officers" is hereby amended to read as follows:

3

     45-19-4.3. One time death benefit — Death benefits to family of deceased police

4

officers, correctional officers, and firefighters.

5

     (a) If an active or retired police officer, capitol police officer, correctional officer,

6

firefighter, crash rescue crew person, fire marshal, or deputy fire marshal of any city, town, fire

7

district, or the state of Rhode Island or deputy sheriff or a correctional officer or member of a

8

volunteer auxiliary fire force or volunteer crash rescue or ambulance corps is killed or dies from

9

injuries received while in the performance of his or her duties, there shall be paid a killed-in-line-

10

of-duty benefit to be administered by the board of police officer’s and firefighter’s relief. The

11

benefit shall be in the sum of forty percent (40%) one hundred percent (100%) of the federal death

12

benefits for law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. The benefit shall be

13

paid as follows:

14

     (1) If there is no surviving child of such officer, to the surviving spouse or domestic partner

15

of such officer;

16

     (2) If there is a surviving child or children and a surviving spouse or domestic partner, one-

17

half (½) to the surviving child or children of such officer in equal shares and one-half (½) to the

18

surviving spouse or domestic partner;

 

1

     (3) If there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, to the child or children of said officer

2

in equal shares;

3

     (4) If there is no surviving spouse, domestic partner, or surviving child, to the individual

4

designated by such officer as beneficiary under such officer’s most recently executed life insurance

5

policy; provided, that such individual survived such officer; or

6

     (5) If none of the above, to the parent or parents of such officer in equal shares.

7

     (b) Domestic partners shall certify by affidavit to the board of police officer’s and

8

firefighter’s relief that the: (1) partners are at least eighteen (18) years of age and mentally

9

competent to contract; (2) partners are not married to anyone; (3) partners are not related by blood

10

to a degree which would prohibit marriage in the state of Rhode Island; (4) partners reside together

11

and have resided together for at least one year; (5) partners are financially interdependent as

12

evidenced by at least two (2) of the following: (i) domestic partnership agreement or relationship

13

contract; (ii) joint mortgage or joint ownership of primary residence; (iii) two (2) of: (A) joint

14

ownership of motor vehicle; (B) joint checking account; (C) joint credit account; (D) joint lease;

15

and/or (iv) the domestic partner has been designated as a beneficiary for the deceased’s will,

16

retirement contract or life insurance.

17

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC004518

========

 

LC004518 - Page 2 of 3

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- RELIEF OF INJURED AND DECEASED FIRE

FIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS

***

1

     This act would increase the killed-in-line-of-duty benefit for active or retired police officer,

2

capitol police officer, correctional officer, firefighter, crash rescue crew person, fire marshal or

3

deputy fire marshal from forty percent (40%) to one hundred percent (100%) of the federal death

4

benefit.

5

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC004518

========

 

LC004518 - Page 3 of 3