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