Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont Senate Bill S0089 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED S.89
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5	5	VT LEG #380749 v.2
6	6	S.89 1
7	7	Introduced by Senator Vyhovsky 2
8	8	Referred to Committee on 3
9	9	Date: 4
10	10	Subject: Public safety; survivorsʼ benefits 5
11	11	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to extend 6
12	12	survivors’ benefits to survivors of law enforcement officers, Department of 7
13	13	Corrections employees, Family Services Division employees, and employees 8
14	14	in State-operated therapeutic community residences or inpatient psychiatric 9
15	15	hospital units who die while in the line of duty or from an occupation-related 10
16	16	illness. 11
17	17	An act relating to expanding survivor benefits 12
18	18	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 13
19	19	Sec. 1. SHORT TITLE 14
20	20	This act may be cited as “Jessica’s Law.” 15
21	21	Sec. 2. 20 V.S.A. § 3171 is amended to read: 16
22	22	§ 3171. DEFINITIONS 17
23	23	As used in this chapter: 18
24	24	* * * 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.89
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29	29	(3) “Emergency personnel” means: 1
30	30	(A) firefighters as defined in subdivision 3151(3) of this title; and 2
31	31	(B) emergency medical personnel and volunteer personnel as defined 3
32	32	in 24 V.S.A. § 2651; 4
33	33	(C) law enforcement officers who have been certified by the Vermont 5
34	34	Criminal Justice Council pursuant to section 2358 of this title; 6
35	35	(D) facility employees of the Department of Corrections and 7
36	36	Department of Corrections employees who provide direct security and 8
37	37	treatment services to offenders under supervision in the community; 9
38	38	(E) classified employees of the Family Services Division of the 10
39	39	Department for Children and Families; and 11
40	40	(F) classified employees of State-operated therapeutic community 12
41	41	residences or inpatient psychiatric hospital units. 13
42	42	(4) “Line of duty” means: 14
43	43	(A) answering or returning from with respect to firefighters, 15
44	44	emergency medical personnel, and volunteer personnel: 16
45	45	(i) service in answer to a call of the department or service for a 17
46	46	fire or emergency or, including going to and returning from a fire or 18
47	47	emergency or participating in a fire or emergency training drill; or 19
48	48	(B)(ii) similar service in another town or district to which the 20
49	49	department or service has been called for firefighting or emergency purposes.; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.89
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54	54	(B) with respect to law enforcement officers: 1
55	55	(i) service as a law enforcement officer in answer to a complaint 2
56	56	lodged with the department or in response to a disorder, including going to, 3
57	57	returning from, and investigating or responding to the complaint or disorder; or 4
58	58	(ii) service under orders from the department or in any emergency 5
59	59	for which the law enforcement officer serves as a law enforcement officer; 6
60	60	(C) with respect to covered employees of the Department of 7
61	61	Corrections, discharging their duties as employees; 8
62	62	(D) with respect to classified employees of the Family Services 9
63	63	Division of the Department for Children and Families, discharging their duties 10
64	64	as employees; and 11
65	65	(E) with respect to classified employees of State-operated therapeutic 12
66	66	community residences or inpatient psychiatric hospital units, discharging their 13
67	67	duties as employees. 14
68	68	* * * 15
69	69	Sec. 3. 20 V.S.A. § 3172 is amended to read: 16
70	70	§ 3172. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL SURVIVORS BENEFIT REVIEW 17
71	71	BOARD 18
72	72	* * * 19
73	73	(c) If the Board decides to award a monetary benefit, the benefit shall be 20
74	74	paid to the surviving spouse or, if the emergency personnel had no spouse at 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.89
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79	79	the time of death, to the surviving child, or equally among surviving children. 1
80	80	If the deceased emergency personnel is not survived by a spouse or child, the 2
81	81	benefit shall be paid to a surviving parent, or equally between surviving 3
82	82	parents. If the deceased emergency personnel is not survived by a spouse, 4
83	83	children, or parents, the Board shall not award a monetary benefit under this 5
84	84	chapter. 6
85	85	(d) Upon a Board decision to award a monetary benefit under this chapter, 7
86	86	the Treasurer shall make payment to the beneficiaries as described in 8
87	87	subsection (c) of this section. The Treasurer shall have up to one year from the 9
88	88	date of receiving the claim to disburse the funds. 10
89	89	* * * 11
90	90	Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE 12
91	91	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 13