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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1239
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING THE FALLEN HERO FUND AND PROVIDING
HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE TO SURVIVORS OF FIRST
RESPONDERS WHO ARE KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 3-122a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) For purposes of this section: 3
(1) "Dependent child" means a child, whether by blood or adoption, 4
of a [police officer] first responder who (A) is under the age of twenty-5
two and was dependent on the earnings of such [officer] first responder 6
at the time of such [officer's] first responder's death, provided a child 7
shall not be considered dependent if such child provides more than half 8
of such child's own support, is married or is legally adopted by another 9
person, or (B) is any age and is physically or mentally incapacitated and 10
was dependent on the earnings of such [officer] first responder at the 11
time of such [officer's] first responder's death. 12
(2) "Emergency medical technician" has the same meaning as 13
provided in section 20-206jj. 14
(3) "Firefighter" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-313g. 15 Substitute Bill No. 1239
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(4) "First responder" means an emergency medical technician, 16
firefighter, paramedic or police officer. 17
[(2)] (5) "Killed in the line of duty" means the death of a [police officer] 18
first responder while engaged in the performance of such [officer's] first 19
responder's duties, resulting from an incident, an accident or violence 20
that caused such death or caused injuries that were the direct or 21
proximate cause of such [officer's] first responder's death, including any 22
death that is determined to be occupationally related by a workers' 23
compensation insurance carrier, an employer to whom a certificate of 24
self-insurance has been issued pursuant to section 31-248 or an 25
administrative law judge for workers' compensation purposes under 26
chapter 568. "Killed in the line of duty" does not include the death of a 27
[police officer] first responder through such [officer's] first responder's 28
own wanton or wilful act. 29
[(3) "Law enforcement unit" has the same meaning as provided in 30
section 7-294a.] 31
(6) "Paramedic" has the same meaning as provided in section 20-206jj. 32
[(4)] (7) "Police officer" has the same meaning as provided in section 33
7-294a. 34
[(5)] (8) "Surviving family" means any person who is a surviving 35
spouse, surviving dependent child, surviving child who is not a 36
dependent child or surviving parent of a [police officer] first responder 37
killed in the line of duty, or a surviving individual listed on such 38
[officer's] first responder's most recent beneficiary form on file with such 39
[officer's employing law enforcement unit] first responder's employer. 40
(b) There is established a fund to be known as the ["Fallen Officer 41
Fund"] "Fallen Hero Fund". The fund may contain any moneys required 42
by law to be deposited in the fund and shall be held by the Treasurer 43
separate and apart from all other moneys, funds and accounts. The 44
interest derived from the investment of the fund shall be credited to the 45
fund. Amounts in the fund may be expended by the Comptroller for 46 Substitute Bill No. 1239
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purposes of payments pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and 47
reimbursement of municipalities pursuant to subdivision (2) of 48
subsection (c) of section 3-123eee, as amended by this act. Any balance 49
remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried 50
forward in the fund for the fiscal year next succeeding. 51
(c) (1) After receiving notice, in a form and manner as determined by 52
the Comptroller, from an individual who is a member of the surviving 53
family of a [police officer] first responder who was killed in the line of 54
duty, the Comptroller shall pay, within available appropriations, a lump 55
sum death benefit totaling one hundred thousand dollars from the fund 56
established in subsection (b) of this section to such surviving family, in 57
accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (e) of this 58
section, provided the surviving family of a [police officer] first 59
responder killed in the line of duty shall not receive more than one such 60
lump sum death benefit. Payments shall be made to surviving families 61
in the order in which notices are received until the amount in such fund 62
is depleted. 63
(2) Any payment made pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection 64
shall be in addition to any other benefits for which individuals of such 65
[officer's] first responder's surviving family are eligible and such 66
payments shall not be reduced or offset due to any other benefits, 67
including, but not limited to, workers' compensation or other survivor 68
benefits. 69
(d) Not later than July 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the 70
Comptroller shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of 71
section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 72
having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security. Such 73
report shall include a list of all expenditures made from the fund 74
established by subsection (b) of this section during the prior year, the 75
current balance of such fund and information regarding additional 76
amounts needed for such fund. 77
(e) The Comptroller shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 78 Substitute Bill No. 1239
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provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section, 79
including, but not limited to, application procedures and criteria for 80
awarding grants among individuals who are members of the surviving 81
family, with priority given to awards that would benefit a dependent 82
child or children and a spouse who is a member of the surviving family. 83
The Comptroller may implement policies and procedures necessary to 84
implement the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting 85
such regulations, provided notice of intent to adopt such regulations is 86
published on the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after 87
the date of implementation of such policies and procedures. Any 88
policies and procedures implemented under this subsection shall be 89
valid until the time such regulations are adopted. 90
Sec. 2. Section 3-123aaa of the general statutes is repealed and the 91
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 92
As used in this section and sections 3-123bbb to 3-123hhh, inclusive, 93
as amended by this act: 94
(1) "First responder" has the same meaning as provided in section 3-95
122a, as amended by this act; 96
[(1)] (2) "Health Care Cost Containment Committee" means the 97
committee established in accordance with the ratified agreement 98
between the state and the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition 99
pursuant to subsection (f) of section 5-278. 100
[(2)] (3) "Killed in the line of duty" has the same meaning as provided 101
in section 3-122a, as amended by this act. 102
[(3)] (4) "Nonprofit employee" means any employee of a nonprofit 103
employer. 104
[(4)] (5) "Nonprofit employer" means (A) a nonprofit corporation, 105
organized under 26 USC 501, as amended from time to time, that (i) has 106
a purchase of service contract, as defined in section 4-70b, or (ii) receives 107
fifty per cent or more of its gross annual revenue from grants or funding 108 Substitute Bill No. 1239
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from the state, the federal government or a municipality or any 109
combination thereof, or (B) an organization that is tax exempt pursuant 110
to 26 USC 501(c)(5), as amended from time to time. 111
[(5)] (6) "Nonstate public employee" means any employee or elected 112
officer of a nonstate public employer. 113
[(6)] (7) "Nonstate public employer" means a municipality or other 114
political subdivision of the state, including a board of education, quasi-115
public agency or public library. A municipality and a board of education 116
may be considered separate employers. 117
[(7)] (8) "Partnership plan" means a health care benefit plan offered 118
by the Comptroller to (A) nonstate public employers or nonprofit 119
employers pursuant to section 3-123bbb, as amended by this act, (B) 120
graduate assistants at The University of Connecticut and The University 121
of Connecticut Health Center, (C) postdoctoral trainees at The 122
University of Connecticut and The University of Connecticut Health 123
Center, (D) graduate fellows at The University of Connecticut and The 124
University of Connecticut Health Center, and (E) graduate students of 125
The University of Connecticut participating in university-funded 126
internships as part of their graduate program. 127
[(8) "Police officer" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-128
294a.] 129
(9) "State employee plan" means a self-insured group health care 130
benefits plan established under subsection (m) of section 5-259. 131
Sec. 3. Subsection (i) of section 3-123bbb of the general statutes is 132
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 133
2025): 134
(i) (1) A nonstate public employer that provides coverage pursuant to 135
a partnership plan to a [police officer] first responder who is killed in 136
the line of duty shall continue to provide such coverage to the survivors 137
of such [officer] first responder who were covered under such plan at 138 Substitute Bill No. 1239
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the time of such [officer's] first responder's death. Such coverage shall 139
continue without break for a period of one year after such [officer's] first 140
responder's death, and may be renewed annually for up to five years. 141
Such nonstate public employer shall facilitate continuation and renewal 142
of such coverage. 143
(2) A nonstate public employer that did not provide coverage 144
pursuant to a partnership plan to a [police officer] first responder who 145
is killed in the line of duty shall apply for coverage pursuant to a 146
partnership plan for those survivors of such [officer] first responder 147
who were receiving health care benefit coverage through a plan offered 148
to such [officer] first responder at the time of such [officer's] first 149
responder's death, at the request of such survivors. The Comptroller 150
shall accept such application upon the terms and conditions applicable 151
to the partnership plan for enrollment and provision of coverage to such 152
survivors for one year. Such enrollment and coverage may be renewed 153
annually for up to five years. Such nonstate public employer shall 154
facilitate initiation and renewal of such enrollment and coverage. 155
Sec. 4. Subsection (c) of section 3-123eee of the general statutes is 156
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 157
2025): 158
(c) (1) Each employer shall pay monthly the amount determined by 159
the Comptroller, pursuant to this section, for coverage of its employees 160
or its employees and retirees, as appropriate, under a partnership plan. 161
An employer may require each covered employee to contribute a 162
portion of the cost of such employee's coverage under the plan, subject 163
to any collective bargaining obligation applicable to such employer, 164
provided no contribution may be required of an individual receiving 165
coverage as described in subsection (i) of section 3-123bbb, as amended 166
by this act. 167
(2) An employer making payments pursuant to subdivision (1) of this 168
subsection for coverage under a partnership plan of an individual or 169
individuals described in subsection (i) of section 3-123bbb, as amended 170 Substitute Bill No. 1239
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by this act, shall be reimbursed by the Comptroller for the total cost of 171
such payments from the Fallen [Officer] Hero Fund established 172
pursuant to subsection (b) of section 3-122a, as amended by this act. 173
Sec. 5. Subsection (j) of section 10a-105 of the general statutes is 174
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 175
2025): 176
(j) Said board of trustees may provide health care coverage for 177
graduate assistants, postdoctoral trainees, graduate fellows and 178
graduate student interns identified in subdivision [(6)] (8) of section 3-179
123aaa, as amended by this act, by enrolling such individuals in a 180
partnership plan as defined in section 3-123aaa, as amended by this act. 181
All premiums and expenses resulting from the participation of such 182
individuals in the partnership plan shall be paid by the university. No 183
such premiums or expenses shall be charged to the General Fund. 184
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 3-122a
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 3-123aaa
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 3-123bbb(i)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2025 3-123eee(c)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 10a-105(j)
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
Section 5 was added to conform with the changes being made in
Section 2.
PS Joint Favorable Subst.