Reeves signs bill to create COVID-19 death benefit for law enforcement, fire fighters - The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Law enforcement officers and firefighters in Mississippi who died after contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty will receive full state death benefits.
Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 779 into law Friday morning. The law enhances the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Death Benefits Trust Fund and guidelines of how family members are to receive benefits.
With the signage of the bill, $5 million from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund was to be transferred to the trust fund, according to the law.
“While all our law enforcement officers and firefighters made countless sacrifices on our behalf throughout the pandemic, tragically, some made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe,” Reese said in the release. “That’s why this legislation is so important. Some gave everything for us – including their life – and it’s only right that we give something back to the families they left behind.
“My administration will always stand beside Mississippi’s law enforcement officers and firefighters, and we will do everything we can to support them and their families in their times of need.”
Under the law, the Department of Public Safety will make a $100,000 payment when a covered law enforcement officer or firefighter, who is engaged in the performance of their official duty, perishes or receives accidental or intentional bodily injury resulting in death.
However, suicide and bodily injury that is intentionally self-inflicted are not covered in the law.
Payment, according to the law, will be made to a beneficiary, which can be a spouse, children, or parents. If no beneficiary is appointed, then the payout would go to a surviving spouse and children in equal portions. If there are no spouse or children, payment would go to the parents. In the event there is no spouse or children, or parents, payment will go into the person’s estate.
The death benefit payment, according to the law, is to be made on top of any worker’s compensation or pension benefits and would be exempt from claims and demands of creditors.
The trust fund will be managed by the State Treasury and fund investments will follow the same protocols of the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
source: https://www.thecentersquare.com/mississippi/reeves-signs-bill-to-create-covid-19-death-benefit-for-law-enforcement-fire-fighters/article_daccb6a0-a16c-11ec-9342-37942f649cdc.html
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