Relating to payment of funeral expenses for first responders

SB 860 Text

skip navigation

SENATE

PRESIDENT

SENATORS

COMMITTEES

VIDEO/AUDIO

DISTRICT MAPS

SENATE CLERK

SENATE RULES

HOUSE

SPEAKER

DELEGATES

COMMITTEES

VIDEO/AUDIO

DISTRICT MAPS

HOUSE CLERK

HOUSE RULES

HOUSE STAFF

JOINT

INTERIM COMMITTEES

LEGISLATIVE ADMINISTRATOR

LEGISLATIVE SERVICES DIVISION

PUBLIC INFORMATION

LEGISLATIVE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS DIVISION

LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR'S OFFICE

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION & RESEARCH DIVISION

POST AUDIT DIVISION

BUDGET DIVISION

REGULATORY AND FISCAL AFFAIRS DIVISION

CLAIMS COMMISSION

CRIME VICTIMS

RULE-MAKING REVIEW

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS

JUDICIAL COMP. COMMISSION

JOINT RULES

STAFF INFO

BILL STATUS

BILL STATUS

BILL TRACKING

STATE LAW

WEST VIRGINIA CODE

ACTS OF THE LEGISLATURE

CODE OF 1931

WV CONSTITUTION

US CONSTITUTION

REPORTS

AGENCY REPORTS

AGENCY GRANT AWARDS

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

POST AUDITS

EDUCATIONAL

CITIZEN’S GUIDE

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

PAGE PROGRAM

PUBLICATIONS

PHOTO GALLERY

CAPITOL HISTORY

HOW A BILL BECOMES LAW

CONTACT

SENATE ROSTER

HOUSE ROSTER

PUBLIC INFO.

NEWS RELEASES

HELPFUL LINKS

sb860 sub1

Senate Bill 860 History

OTHER VERSIONS
-

Introduced Version

|

|
Email

Key:
Green
= existing Code.
Red
= new code to be enacted

WEST virginia legislature
2026 regular session
Committee Substitute
for
Senate Bill 860
By Senator Morris
[Reported February 20, 2026, from the Committee on the Military]

A BILL to amend and reenact §15-11-1 and §15-11-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to payment of funeral expenses for certain law-enforcement, safety, and emergency workers; and specifying that payment of funeral expenses may be made when a worker dies as a proximate result of the performance of his or her official duties.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 11. PAYMENT OF FUNERAL EXPENSES.

§15-11-1. Law-enforcement, safety, and emergency worker funeral expense fund created.

There is created within the State Treasury a special fund known as the "law-enforcement, safety, and emergency worker funeral expense payment fund", into which there shall be deposited such moneys as from time to time may be appropriated by the Legislature or received from other sources as may be donated or otherwise provided for the fund. The fund shall be administered by the
secretary of military affairs and public safety

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
for the sole purpose of effecting the provisions of this article.

§15-11-2. Payment of funeral expenses of law-enforcement, safety, and emergency workers
killed

who die
in the line of duty.

(a) The Secretary of
Military Affairs and Public Safety

the Department of Homeland Security
shall, upon written request, direct payment from the fund
created by §15-11-1 of this code
in the form of a draft as provided in this article up to and including an amount not exceeding $8,000 for the reasonable funeral expenses, including burial expenses, of a law-enforcement, safety, or emergency worker
killed

who dies
on or after January 1,
1999, while carrying out

2026, as a proximate result of the performance of his or her
official duties:
Provided,
That funds shall not be expended for any funeral expense that is otherwise payable pursuant to the provisions of §23-4-1
et seq.
of this code, as amended, or other benefit programs established by a provision of this code which does not involve employee participation:
Provided, however,
That where other funds for funeral expenses are provided pursuant to the laws of this state, from whatever source, which amount to less than $8,000, funds provided by the provisions of this section shall be expended so as to ensure that at least $8,000 is available for reasonable funeral expenses. The secretary shall direct payment of the funeral expenses upon written request of an employer or head of a volunteer organization, as is appropriate pursuant to this article, certifying that the individual for whom funeral expenses are requested
was killed while performing

died as a proximate result of the performance of his or her
official duties.
(b) The secretary shall supply the draft in the name of the person contracting for the funeral services and, if known, the service provider to the employer or agency head making the request who shall tender the draft to the person who contracted for the services.
(c) For the purposes of this section, "law-enforcement, safety, or emergency worker" means:
(1) Any duly authorized member of a law-enforcement agency who is authorized to maintain public peace and order, prevent and detect crime, make arrests, and enforce the laws of the state or any county or municipality of the state, other than parking ordinances, and including those persons employed as security officers at municipal, county, regional, or state offices, authorities or institutions, although their employers may not be public law-enforcement agencies, employed by the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority, and members of the West Virginia National Guard while engaged in active duty service:
Provided,
That this section does not apply to those persons employed by private security firms or agencies;
(2) Any state, regional, county, or municipal correctional employee;
(3) Any firefighter employed by the state or any political subdivision of the state and any volunteer firefighter performing as a member of a volunteer fire department;
(4) Any "emergency medical services personnel", as defined in §16-4C-3 of this code, employed by or volunteering for any state agency or institution or political subdivision of the state; or
(5) Any probation officer appointed under the provisions of either §62-12-5 or §49-4-719 of this code.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to modify the language in the statute to make it consistent with W.Va. Code §5H-1-2(b) for survivor’s benefit payment for first responders for purposes of payment for funeral expenses of law enforcement, safety, and emergency workers.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

Bill Status
|

Bill Tracking
|

Legacy WV Code
|

Bulletin Board
|

District Maps
|

Senate Roster
|

House Roster
|

Live
|

Blog
|

Jobs
|

Links
|

Home

This Web site is maintained by the
West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information.
|
Terms of Use
|

Webmaster
| © 2026 West Virginia Legislature **

Print On Demand

Name:

Email:

Phone: