House Bill No. [insert bill number] amends the Firefighters' Retirement System to enhance survivor benefits for children with disabilities. The bill allows a surviving eligible spouse to designate their deceased spouse's child or children with a permanent mental or physical disability, as well as dependent minor children, to receive a specified amount of benefits. This designation must occur within thirty days of the member's death, and the system's actuary must certify that the benefits allocated to the children do not diminish the total benefits payable to the surviving spouse. Additionally, any benefits paid to a child with a disability will be adjusted to prevent a reduction in the surviving spouse's benefits.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that if a surviving eligible spouse irrevocably designates a child with a disability to receive benefits, those benefits will continue throughout the child's life, rather than being contingent on the disabling condition being deemed permanent. This change aims to provide greater financial security for families affected by disabilities, ensuring that children with disabilities receive ongoing support from the retirement system.

Statutes affected:
HB28 Original: 11:2256(B)(3)
HB28 Engrossed: 11:2256(H)(1)
HB28 Enrolled: 11:2256(H)(1)