This bill aims to amend and reenact section 15-11-2 of the West Virginia Code to align the language regarding funeral expense payments for first responders with existing state law. The proposed changes include replacing the term "killed" with "who die" to broaden the scope of eligibility for funeral expense payments. Additionally, the bill updates the responsible authority from the "Secretary of Military Affairs and Public Safety" to the "Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security." It also clarifies that payments will be made for reasonable funeral expenses up to $8,000 for law enforcement, safety, or emergency workers who die as a proximate result of their official duties.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that funds will not be expended for funeral expenses 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 defines "law-enforcement, safety, or emergency worker" to include various categories of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, correctional employees, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, and probation officers. Overall, the bill seeks to provide clearer and more consistent language regarding the benefits available to the families of first responders who die in the line of duty.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-11-2