Title: Florida Retirement System

Summary: Specifies eligibility of monthly death benefit payment to surviving spouse, child, or parent of law enforcement officer or firefighter employed by state; provides annual appropriation.

Full Text:
An act relating to the Florida Retirement System; amending s. 121.091, F.S.; specifying eligibility of a monthly death benefit payment to the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a law enforcement officer or firefighter employed by the state; providing an annual appropriation; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Paragraph (i) is added to sub section (7) of section 121.091, Florida Statutes, to read: 121.091 Benefits payable under the system.-Benefits may not be paid under this section unless the member has terminated employment as provided in s. 121.021(39)(a) or begun participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program as provided in subsection (13), and a proper application has been filed in the manner prescribed by the department. The department may cancel an application for retirement benefits when the member or beneficiary fails to timely provide the information and documents required by this chapter and the department's rules. The department shall adopt rules establishing procedures for application for retirement benefits and for the cancellation of such application when the required information or documents are not received. (7) DEATH BENEFITS.- HB 2015 (i)1. Notwithstanding any other provisions in this chapter or chapter to the contrary, a qualifying survivor of a member employed by the state as a law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10, or as a firefighter as defined in s. 112.191, who is killed in the line of duty; is killed when off duty while acting in an official capacity to prevent injury, death, or loss of property; or otherwise killed by reason of his or her employmen tas a law enforcement officer or as a firefighter, is eligible for the following minimum benefits: a. The surviving spouse may receive a monthly payment equal to the monthly salary being received by the member at the time of death for the rest of the su rviving spouse's lifetime. b. If the surviving spouse of the member dies, the monthly payment that would have been payable to the surviving spouse had the spouse lived shall be paid for the use and benefit of such member's child or children under year sof age and unmarried until the 18th birthday of the member's youngest child, or until the end of the calendar year that the member's youngest child reaches the age of if such child is enrolled as a full-time student. c. If a member leaves no survivi ng spouse but is survived by a child or children under years of age, the benefits provided by sub-subparagraph 1.a., normally payable to a surviving spouse, shall be paid for the use and benefit of such member's child or children under years of age a nd unmarried until the 18th birthday of the member's youngest child, or until HB 2015 the end of the calendar year that the member's youngest child reaches the age of if such child is enrolled as a full-time student. d. If a member leaves no surviving spouse or surviving children, but is survived by one or more parents, the benefits provided by sub-subparagraph 1.a., normally payable to a surviving spouse or children, shall be paid for the use and benefit of such member's parents for a period not to exceed 60 years. 2. There is hereby annually appropriated from the General Revenue Fund, to be paid into the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund, an amount necessary to cover the additional costs associated with payment of the minimum benefits authorized by this paragraph to the extent that the costs of such benefits exceed other benefits authorized by law. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.