PRINTER'S NO. 3157
No. 2295 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY SOLOBAY, COSTA, FRANKEL, MANN, YUDICHAK, BELARDI,
M. COHEN, COY, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, KELLER, LESCOVITZ, MELIO,
SHANER, STABACK, SURRA, TRAVAGLIO, WOJNAROSKI, ALLEN,
BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, BROWNE, BUNT, CAPPELLI,
CASORIO, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, FAIRCHILD, FLEAGLE, GEORGE,
GRUITZA, HALUSKA, HERMAN, HUTCHINSON, JADLOWIEC, LAUGHLIN,
LEH, LEVDANSKY, LUCYK, MARKOSEK, MAYERNIK, McILHATTAN,
PHILLIPS, RAYMOND, READSHAW, RUBLEY, SANTONI, SATHER,
E. Z. TAYLOR, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD, TURZAI, O'BRIEN, TANGRETTI,
GRUCELA, HESS, HARHAI AND PICKETT, JANUARY 23, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JANUARY 23, 2002
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act providing for the payment of death
3 benefits to the surviving spouse or children or parents of
4 firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad members or
5 law enforcement officers killed in the performance of their
6 duties," further providing for the amount and funding of
7 death benefit payable.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Section 1(d), (e) and (f) of the act of June 24,
11 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law
12 Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act, amended December 27,
13 1994 (P.L.1373, No.161), are amended to read:
14 Section 1. * * *
15 (d) Upon receipt of such certification, the Commonwealth
16 shall, from moneys payable out of the General Fund, pay to the
1 political subdivision the sum of [$50,000] $100,000, adjusted in
2 accordance with subsection (f) of this section. Within five days
3 of receipt of said sum from the Commonwealth, the political
4 subdivision shall pay such sum as a benefit to the surviving
5 spouse, or if there is no surviving spouse, to the minor
6 children of the firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad
7 member or law enforcement officer killed in the performance of
8 duty. When no spouse or minor children survive, the benefit
9 shall be paid to the parent or parents of such firefighter,
10 ambulance service or rescue squad member or law enforcement
11 officer.
12 (e) The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall pay out of the
13 General Fund to the surviving spouse, or, if there is no
14 surviving spouse, the minor children of a State police officer
15 or other law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth killed in
16 the performance of his duties the sum of [$50,000] $100,000,
17 adjusted in accordance with subsection (f) of this section. When
18 no spouse or minor children survive, the benefit shall be paid
19 to the parent or parents of such State police officer or other
20 law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth. The benefit shall
21 be payable whether or not the officer was killed within the
22 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
23 (f) On July 1 of each fiscal year beginning after January 1,
24 [1995] 2003, the Commonwealth shall adjust the level of the
25 benefit payable immediately before July 1 under subsections (d)
26 and (e) of this section to reflect the annual percentage change
27 in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published
28 by the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Labor
29 Statistics, occurring in the one-year period ending on January 1
30 immediately preceding July 1.
20020H2295B3157 - 2 -
1 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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