House Bill No. [insert number] amends the Firefighters' Retirement System to enhance survivor benefits for children with disabilities. The bill specifies that benefits will be payable to a surviving child of a deceased member or retiree if the child had a total physical or intellectual disability at the time of the retiree's retirement, rather than solely at the time of the member's death. Additionally, the requirement for the child to be dependent on a surviving spouse or legal guardian for subsistence has been removed, allowing for broader eligibility for benefits.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the conditions under which benefits continue for a designated child with a disability. Previously, benefits would cease if the disabling condition was no longer deemed permanent by medical standards. The proposed law eliminates this stipulation, ensuring that benefits will continue for the life of the child, regardless of any changes in the medical assessment of their disability. This legislative change aims to provide more comprehensive support for families of disabled children within the Firefighters' Retirement System.

Statutes affected:
HB28 Original: 11:2256(B)(3)