The bill amends and reenacts section 15-11-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, to align the language regarding survivor benefit payments for first responders with W.Va. Code 5H-1-2(b). The modifications include changing the terminology from "killed" to "who dies" in reference to law enforcement, safety, and emergency workers who die in the line of duty. Additionally, the bill updates the effective date for these provisions to January 1, 2025, and specifies that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security will oversee the payment of funeral expenses, which can be up to $8,000 for reasonable funeral costs.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies that the funds for funeral expenses will not be expended for costs covered by other benefit programs and ensures that if other funds are available but less than $8,000, the state funds will supplement the difference to meet the $8,000 threshold. The bill also provides a detailed definition of "law-enforcement, safety, or emergency worker," encompassing various roles such as law enforcement officers, correctional employees, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, and probation officers, while explicitly excluding private security personnel.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-11-2, 5H-1-2
Committee Substitute: 15-11-2, 5H-1-2
Engrossed Committee Substitute: 15-11-2, 5H-1-2