Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0822 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- S 0822
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7	7	LC002635
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO TOWNS AN D CITIES -- RELIEF OF INJURED AND DECEASED FIRE
16	16	FIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS
17	17	Introduced By: Senators Ciccone, Britto, DiPalma, F. Lombardi, Burke, and Tikoian
18	18	Date Introduced: March 23, 2023
19	19	Referred To: Senate Labor
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Section 45-19-4.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-19 entitled "Relief of 1
24	24	Injured and Deceased Fire Fighters and Police Officers" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
25	25	45-19-4.3. One time death benefit — Death benefits to family of deceased police 3
26	26	officers, correctional officers, and firefighters. 4
27	27	(a) If an active or retired police officer, capitol police officer, correctional officer, 5
28	28	firefighter, crash rescue crew person, fire marshal, or deputy fire marshal of any city, town, fire 6
29	29	district, or the state of Rhode Island or deputy sheriff or a correctional officer or member of a 7
30	30	volunteer auxiliary fire force or volunteer crash rescue or ambulance corps is killed or dies from 8
31	31	injuries received while in the performance of his or her duties, there shall be paid a killed-in-line-9
32	32	of-duty benefit to be administered by the board of police officer’s and firefighter’s relief. The 10
33	33	benefit shall be in the sum of forty percent (40%) one hundred percent (100%) of the federal death 11
34	34	benefits for law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. The benefit shall be 12
35	35	paid as follows: 13
36	36	(1) If there is no surviving child of such officer, to the surviving spouse or domestic partner 14
37	37	of such officer; 15
38	38	(2) If there is a surviving child or children and a surviving spouse or domestic partner, one-16
39	39	half (½) to the surviving child or children of such officer in equal shares and one-half (½) to the 17
40	40	surviving spouse or domestic partner; 18
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43	43	LC002635 - Page 2 of 3
44	44	(3) If there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, to the child or children of said officer 1
45	45	in equal shares; 2
46	46	(4) If there is no surviving spouse, domestic partner, or surviving child, to the individual 3
47	47	designated by such officer as beneficiary under such officer’s most recently executed life insurance 4
48	48	policy; provided, that such individual survived such officer; or 5
49	49	(5) If none of the above, to the parent or parents of such officer in equal shares. 6
50	50	(b) Domestic partners shall certify by affidavit to the board of police officer’s and 7
51	51	firefighter’s relief that the: (1) partners are at least eighteen (18) years of age and mentally 8
52	52	competent to contract; (2) partners are not married to anyone; (3) partners are not related by blood 9
53	53	to a degree which would prohibit marriage in the state of Rhode Island; (4) partners reside together 10
54	54	and have resided together for at least one year; (5) partners are financially interdependent as 11
55	55	evidenced by at least two (2) of the following: (i) domestic partnership agreement or relationship 12
56	56	contract; (ii) joint mortgage or joint ownership of primary residence; (iii) two (2) of: (A) joint 13
57	57	ownership of motor vehicle; (B) joint checking account; (C) joint credit account; (D) joint lease; 14
58	58	and/or (iv) the domestic partner has been designated as a beneficiary for the deceased’s will, 15
59	59	retirement contract or life insurance. 16
60	60	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 17
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67	67	EXPLANATION
68	68	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
69	69	OF
70	70	A N A C T
71	71	RELATING TO TOWNS AN D CITIES -- RELIEF OF INJURED AND DECEASED FIRE
72	72	FIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS
73	73	***
74	74	This act would increase the killed-in-line-of-duty benefit for active or retired police officer, 1
75	75	capitol police officer, correctional officer, firefighter, crash rescue crew person, fire marshal or 2
76	76	deputy fire marshal from forty percent (40%) to one hundred percent (100%) of the federal death 3
77	77	benefit. 4
78	78	This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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80	80	LC002635
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