The "Assistance to Firefighters' Families Act" aims to enhance the financial support provided to the families of volunteer emergency service providers who have died in the line of duty. The bill proposes to double the survivor pension amounts for beneficiaries of volunteer firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and rescue squad workers from $15,000 to $30,000 annually for widows, and from $10,000 to $20,000 for children if the widow remarries. Additionally, the bill increases the maximum group life insurance coverage that municipalities can provide from $25,000 to $250,000 and mandates that municipalities cover reasonable funeral and burial expenses for deceased volunteer firefighters, provided these costs are not already covered by other associations.

To fund these enhancements, the bill allows municipalities to establish a surcharge on fire code inspections, which will help cover the costs associated with the insurance and benefits provided to volunteer firefighters. This surcharge will be paid into the municipality's treasury and appropriated to the local enforcing agency responsible for conducting inspections. The bill is designed to ensure that the families of volunteer emergency service providers receive adequate financial support in their time of need while also providing municipalities with a means to fund these benefits.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43:12-28.2, 52:27D-203