Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0057 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED H.57
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5	5	VT LEG #379262 v.1
6	6	H.57 1
7	7	Introduced by Representatives Higley of Lowell, Arsenault of Williston, 2
8	8	Bailey of Hyde Park, Burditt of West Rutland, Burtt of Cabot, 3
9	9	Casey of Hubbardton, Coffin of Cavendish, Dickinson of St. 4
10	10	Albans Town, Dobrovich of Williamstown, Galfetti of Barre 5
11	11	Town, Goslant of Northfield, Hango of Berkshire, Keyser of 6
12	12	Rutland City, Krasnow of South Burlington, Labor of Morgan, 7
13	13	Luneau of St. Albans City, Maguire of Rutland City, Masland 8
14	14	of Thetford, McFaun of Barre Town, Morgan, L. of Milton, 9
15	15	Morgan, M. of Milton, Morrissey of Bennington, Nielsen of 10
16	16	Brandon, Noyes of Wolcott, Oliver of Sheldon, Page of 11
17	17	Newport City, Powers of Waterford, Southworth of Walden, 12
18	18	and Tagliavia of Corinth 13
19	19	Referred to Committee on 14
20	20	Date: 15
21	21	Subject: Public safety; law enforcement officers; survivors’ benefits 16
22	22	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to provide the 17
23	23	same monetary benefit currently available to survivors of firefighters and 18
24	24	emergency personnel to survivors of law enforcement officers. 19
25	25	An act relating to survivor benefits for law enforcement officers 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.57
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29	29	VT LEG #379262 v.1
30	30	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
31	31	Sec. 1. SHORT TITLE 2
32	32	This act may be cited as “Jessica’s Law.” 3
33	33	Sec. 2. 20 V.S.A. chapter 181 is amended to read: 4
34	34	CHAPTER 181. BENEFITS FOR THE SURVIVORS OF EMERGENCY 5
35	35	PERSONNEL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS 6
36	36	§ 3171. DEFINITIONS 7
37	37	As used in this chapter: 8
38	38	(1) “Board” means the Emergency Personnel and Law Enforcement 9
39	39	Officers Survivors Benefit Review Board. 10
40	40	* * * 11
41	41	(4) “Line of duty” means: 12
42	42	(A) answering or returning from With respect to emergency 13
43	43	personnel: 14
44	44	(i) service in answer to a call of the department or service for a 15
45	45	fire or emergency or, including going to and returning from a fire or 16
46	46	emergency or participating in a fire or emergency training drill; or 17
47	47	(B)(ii) similar service in another town or district to which the 18
48	48	department or service has been called for firefighting or emergency purposes. 19
49	49	(B) With respect to law enforcement officers: 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.57
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54	54	(i) service as a law enforcement officer in answer to a complaint 1
55	55	lodged with the department or in response to a disorder, including going to, 2
56	56	returning from, and investigating or responding to the complaint or disorder; or 3
57	57	(ii) service under orders from the department or in any emergency 4
58	58	for which the law enforcement officer serves as a law enforcement officer. 5
59	59	* * * 6
60	60	(7) “Survivor” means a spouse, child, or parent of emergency personnel 7
61	61	or a law enforcement officer. 8
62	62	(8) “Law enforcement officer” means a law enforcement officer who 9
63	63	has been certified by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council pursuant to section 10
64	64	2358 of this title. 11
65	65	§ 3172. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 12
66	66	OFFICERS SURVIVORS BENEFIT REVIEW BOARD 13
67	67	(a)(1) There is created the Emergency Personnel and Law Enforcement 14
68	68	Officers Survivors Benefit Review Board, which shall consist of the State 15
69	69	Treasurer or designee, the Attorney General or designee, the Chief Fire Service 16
70	70	Training Officer of the Vermont Fire Service Training Council or designee, 17
71	71	and the Executive Director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council or 18
72	72	designee, one member of the public to represent the interests of emergency 19
73	73	personnel appointed by the Governor for a term of two years, and one member 20
74	74	of the public to represent the interests of law enforcement officers. The 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.57
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78	78	VT LEG #379262 v.1
79	79	members of the public shall be appointed by the Governor for a term of two 1
80	80	years. 2
81	81	(2) Survivors of emergency personnel, employed by or who volunteer 3
82	82	for the State of Vermont, a county or municipality of the State, or a nonprofit 4
83	83	entity that provides services in the State, the following individuals who die in 5
84	84	the line of duty or of an occupation-related illness may request the Board 6
85	85	award a monetary benefit under section 3173 of this title: 7
86	86	(A) emergency personnel, employed by or who volunteer for the 8
87	87	State of Vermont, a county or municipality of the State, or a nonprofit entity 9
88	88	that provides access to services in the State; and 10
89	89	(B) law enforcement officers. 11
90	90	(3) The Board shall be responsible for determining whether to award 12
91	91	monetary benefits under section 3173 of this title. A decision to award 13
92	92	monetary benefits shall be made by unanimous vote of the Board and shall be 14
93	93	made within 60 days after the receipt of all information necessary to enable the 15
94	94	Board to determine eligibility. 16
95	95	(4) The Board may request any information necessary for the exercise of 17
96	96	its duties under this section. Nothing in this section shall prevent the Board 18
97	97	from initiating the investigation or determination of a claim before being 19
98	98	requested by a survivor or employer of emergency personnel or a law 20
99	99	enforcement officer. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.57
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104	104	* * * 1
105	105	(c) If the Board decides to award a monetary benefit, the benefit shall be 2
106	106	paid to the surviving spouse or, if the emergency personnel or law enforcement 3
107	107	officer had no spouse at the time of death, to the surviving child, or equally 4
108	108	among surviving children. If the deceased emergency personnel or law 5
109	109	enforcement officer is not survived by a spouse or child, the benefit shall be 6
110	110	paid to a surviving parent, or equally between surviving parents. If the 7
111	111	deceased emergency personnel or law enforcement officer is not survived by a 8
112	112	spouse, children, or parents, the Board shall not award a monetary benefit 9
113	113	under this chapter. 10
114	114	* * * 11
115	115	(f) The Each member of the public appointed by the Governor shall be 12
116	116	entitled to per diem compensation authorized under 32 V.S.A. § 1010 for each 13
117	117	day spent in the performance of his or her the member’s duties. 14
118	118	§ 3173. MONETARY BENEFIT 15
119	119	(a) The survivors of emergency personnel or a law enforcement officer who 16
120	120	dies while in the line of duty or from an occupation-related illness may apply 17
121	121	for a payment of $80,000.00 from the State. 18
122	122	* * * 19
123	123	§ 3175. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 20
124	124	OFFICERS SURVIVORS BENEFIT SPECIAL FUND 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.57
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129	129	(a) The Emergency Personnel and Law Enforcement Officers Survivors 1
130	130	Benefit Special Fund is established in the Office of the State Treasurer for the 2
131	131	purpose of the payment of claims distributed pursuant to this chapter. The 3
132	132	Fund shall comprise appropriations made by the General Assembly and 4
133	133	contributions or donations from any other source. All balances in the Fund at 5
134	134	the end of the fiscal year shall be carried forward. Interest earned shall remain 6
135	135	in the Fund. 7
136	136	* * * 8
137	137	Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 9
138	138	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 10