An Act amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act, further providing for title of act; and adding provisions relating to coroners.

PRINTER'S NO. 573
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 569
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY HAMM, HARKINS, STENDER, ROWE, KAUFFMAN, KENYATTA,
FLICK, BENNINGHOFF, WATRO, RIGBY AND BARGER,
FEBRUARY 12, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 12, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled
"An act providing for the payment of death benefits to the
surviving spouse or children or parents of firefighters,
ambulance service or rescue squad members, law enforcement
officers or National Guard members who die as a result of the
performance of their duties," further providing for title of
act; and adding provisions relating to coroners.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The title of the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424,
No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement
Personnel Death Benefits Act, is amended to read:
AN ACT
Providing for the payment of death benefits to the surviving
spouse or children or parents of firefighters, ambulance
service or rescue squad members, law enforcement officers,
coroners or National Guard members who die as a result of the
performance of their duties.
Section 2. Section 1(a) introductory paragraph, (a.1) and
(d) of the act are amended and the section is amended by adding
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a subsection to read:
Section 1. (a) In the event a law enforcement officer,
coroner, ambulance service or rescue squad member, firefighter,
certified hazardous material response team member, member of the
Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol or National Guard member dies as a
result of the performance of his duties, an application,
including a certification of death, shall be made to the
department within three years of the date of such death by any
of the following:
* * *
(a.1) A firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad
member, law enforcement officer, coroner, certified hazardous
material response team member, member of the Pennsylvania Civil
Air Patrol or National Guard member who suffers a fatal heart
attack or stroke while on duty or not later than 24 hours after
participating in a physical training exercise or responding to
an emergency is presumed to have died as a result of the
performance of his duties for purposes of this act.
* * *
(d) Upon receipt of such certification, the Commonwealth
shall, from moneys payable out of the General Fund, pay to the
surviving spouse or, if there is no surviving spouse, to the
minor children of the paid firefighter, ambulance service or
rescue squad member [or], law enforcement officer or coroner who
died as a result of the performance of his duty the sum of
$100,000, adjusted in accordance with subsection (f) of this
section and an amount equal to the monthly salary, adjusted in
accordance with subsection (f) of this section, of the deceased
paid firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad member [or],
law enforcement officer or coroner, less any workers'
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compensation or pension or retirement benefits paid to such
survivors, and shall continue such monthly payments until there
is no eligible beneficiary to receive them. For the purpose of
this subsection, the term "eligible beneficiary" means the
surviving spouse or the child or children under the age of
eighteen years or, if attending college, under the age of
twenty-three years, of the firefighter, ambulance service or
rescue squad member [or], law enforcement officer or coroner who
died as a result of the performance of his duty. When no spouse
or minor children survive, a single sum of $100,000, adjusted in
accordance with subsection (f) of this section, shall be paid to
the parent or parents of such firefighter, ambulance service
member, rescue squad member [or], law enforcement officer or
coroner.
* * *
(h) A coroner shall be deemed to be acting in the
performance of his duties for the purposes of this act when
acting in accordance with 16 Pa.C.S. Ch. 139 (relating to
coroner).
Section 3. Section 2 of the act is amended by adding a
definition to read:
Section 2. The following words and phrases when used in this
act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"Coroner" means an elected or appointed coroner or deputy
coroner or an elected or appointed medical examiner.
* * *
Section 4. Section 2.1 of the act is amended to read:
Section 2.1. This act shall be broadly construed to grant
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benefits to firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad
members, law enforcement officers, coroners or National Guard
personnel for deaths related to the performance of their duties.
Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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