The bill revises the laws governing the Montana End of Watch Trust, which provides financial support to law enforcement officers and their families in the event of catastrophic injury or death in the line of duty. Key provisions include the requirement for applications for payments to include a workers' compensation determination of permanent and total disability. Additionally, the bill allows legal children of an officer to continue receiving payments after turning 18 under certain circumstances. The Department of Justice is granted rulemaking authority to establish processes for payment distribution, application approval, and appeals.

Several definitions within the existing law are updated, including the definition of "catastrophic injury," which now specifies a physical, bodily injury related to employment duties. The bill also clarifies the eligibility criteria for payments and outlines the responsibilities of the board overseeing the trust. Notably, it amends the payment structure to ensure that monthly payments are contingent upon board approval and introduces a maximum of 60 monthly payments for beneficiaries. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1(1): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1(2): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1(3): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1(4): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1(5): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1(6): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1(7): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1(8): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_1: 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(1): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(10): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(11): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(12): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(2): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(3): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(4): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(5): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(6): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(7): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(8): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2(9): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_2: 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(1): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(10): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(11): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(2): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(3): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(4): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(5): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(6): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(7): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(8): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X(9): 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045
SB0487_X: 2-15-2040, 2-15-2041, 2-15-2042, 2-15-2043, 2-15-2044, 2-15-2045