2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 31 - GOVERNMENT - MUNICIPAL (§§ 31-1-101 — 31-35-712) › POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF CITIES AND TOWNS (§§ 31-15-101 — 31-35-712) › Article 31 - FIRE - POLICE - NEW HIRE PENSION PLANS (§§ 31-31-101 — 31-31-1203) › Part 8 - DISABILITY AND SURVIVOR BENEFITS (§§ 31-31-801 — 31-31-815) › Section 31-31-807.5 - Death of member - line-of-duty - survivor benefits

(1)
(a)
If a member dies while in active service as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained while performing official duties or as a result of an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of the member's employment, and if such member qualifies for line-of-duty status under section 101 (h) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, and leaves a surviving spouse or dependent children, or both, one of the survivor benefits described in either paragraph (b) or (c) of this subsection (1) shall be paid if the member:
(I)
Is not eligible for a normal retirement pension under an old hire pension established pursuant to article
30.5
of this title that provides for postretirement survivor benefits to a spouse and dependent children in the event the member dies in active service while eligible for normal retirement; and
(II)
(A)
Is not eligible for the normal retirement pension from a plan that is part of the defined benefit system pursuant to section
31-31-204
; or
(B)
Has not reached age fifty-five with twenty-five years of accumulated service as a member and is a participant under the statewide money purchase plan pursuant to part 5 of this article or under a local money purchase plan.
(b)
Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection (1), one of the following survivor benefits shall be paid if the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) are satisfied:
(I)
When there is a surviving spouse and no dependent children, the monthly benefit shall be forty percent of the monthly base salary paid to such member immediately preceding death.
(II)
When there is a surviving spouse and one dependent child, the monthly benefit shall be forty percent of the monthly base salary paid to such member immediately preceding death.
(III)
When there is a surviving spouse and two or more dependent children, the monthly benefit shall be fifty percent of the monthly base salary paid to such member immediately preceding death.
(IV)
When there is no surviving spouse and three or more dependent children, the monthly benefit shall be fifty percent of the monthly base salary paid to each member immediately preceding death.
(V)
When there is no surviving spouse and two dependent children, the monthly benefit shall be forty percent of the monthly base salary paid to such member immediately preceding death.
(VI)
When there is no surviving spouse and one dependent child, the monthly benefit shall be forty percent of the monthly base salary paid to such member immediately preceding death.
(c)
For survivors who become eligible for survivor benefits on or after October 15, 2002, one of the following survivor benefits shall be paid if the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) are satisfied:
(I)
The monthly benefit when there is a surviving spouse, either with or without children, shall be seventy percent of the monthly base salary being paid to such member immediately preceding death.
(II)
The monthly benefit when there is no surviving spouse but a surviving child or children shall be:
(A)
Seventy percent of the monthly base salary being paid to such member immediately prior to death if the child or children were living in the member's home at the time of the member's death; or
(B)
Forty percent of the monthly base salary being paid to such member immediately prior to death for one child and fifteen percent for each additional child; except that the total benefit received shall not be greater than seventy percent of the monthly base salary if the child or children were not living in the member's home at the time of the member's death.
(1.5)
(a)
On or after October 1, 2001, if a member dies while in active service as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained while performing official duties or as a result of an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of the member's employment, and if such member qualifies for line-of-duty status under section 101 (h) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, and leaves a surviving spouse or dependent children, or both, one of the survivor benefits described in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1.5) shall be paid if the member:
(I)
Is eligible for a normal retirement pension under an old hire pension established pursuant to article
30.5
of this title that provides for postretirement survivor benefits to a spouse and dependent children in the event the member dies in active service while eligible for normal retirement;
(II)
Is eligible for the normal retirement pension from a plan that is part of the defined benefit system pursuant to section
31-31-204
; or
(III)
Has reached age fifty-five with twenty-five years of accumulated service as a member and is a participant under the statewide money purchase plan pursuant to part 5 of this article or under a local money purchase plan.
(b)
One of the following survivor benefits shall be paid if the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5) are satisfied and if the survivor benefit currently received pursuant to subparagraph (I), (II), or (III) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5) is less than seventy percent of the monthly base salary being paid to the member immediately preceding death:
(I)
The monthly benefit to be paid in addition to the monthly retirement benefit otherwise payable when there is a surviving spouse, either with or without children, shall be the difference between seventy percent of the monthly base salary paid to such member immediately preceding death and the amount payable pursuant to benefits received under the plan identified in subparagraph (I), (II), or (III) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5).
(II)
The monthly benefit to be paid in addition to the monthly retirement benefit otherwise payable when there is no surviving spouse but there is a surviving child or children shall be:
(A)
If the child or children were living in the member's home at the time of the member's death, the difference between seventy percent of the monthly base salary being paid to such member immediately preceding death and the amount payable pursuant to benefits received under the plan identified in subparagraph (I), (II), or (III) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5); or
(B)
If the child or children were not living in the member's home at the time of the member's death, the sum of forty percent of the monthly base salary being paid to such member immediately prior to death for the first child plus fifteen percent for each additional child, the total of which shall not be greater than seventy percent of the monthly base salary less the amount payable pursuant to benefits received under the plan identified in subparagraph (I), (II), or (III) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5).
(2)
The board shall promulgate rules that specify standards and establish procedures for determining whether a member's death is the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained while performing official duties or an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of a member's employment and, in the case of a line-of-duty death, whether any of the exceptions specified in section 101 (h)(2) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, are applicable. The procedures established by the board may include the appointment of hearing officers to conduct hearings and make findings and recommendations to the board on any issue. The board may adopt rules to establish a process for the administrative approval of a death benefit application, including standards of review of applications, without board review. The board shall take any final action that constitutes a denial of a disability application or a reduction of a benefit.
(3)
(a)
The board shall promulgate rules that specify the method of reviewing existing survivor benefit awards to:
(I)
Determine whether a member's death was the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained while performing official duties or as a result of an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of the member's employment;
(II)
Determine, in the case of line-of-duty deaths occurring after December 31, 1996, whether any of the exceptions specified in section 101 (h)(2) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, are applicable;
(III)
Establish procedures for making such determinations, including the appointment of hearing officers to conduct hearings.
(b)
The determinations made by the board pursuant to this subsection (3) shall be made on the basis of the medical evidence that was previously submitted in connection with the application for survivor benefits and other relevant nontestimonial evidence.
(c)
Any decision made by the board to change an existing survivor benefit award to an on-duty survivor benefit under this subsection (3) shall operate on a prospective basis from the date of the board's decision.
(4)
Any benefit provided in accordance with this section to the surviving spouse or dependent child of a member who dies while in active service shall terminate upon the death of the surviving spouse or upon the death or termination of dependency of the dependent child, as defined in section
31-31-801 (2)
, as applicable.
(5)
(a)
When there is a surviving spouse and one dependent child residing in a separate household from the surviving spouse, the surviving spouse shall receive two-thirds of the benefit and the child shall receive the balance of the benefit pursuant to subsection (1) or (1.5) of this section.
(b)
When there is a surviving spouse and two or more dependent children residing in a separate household from the surviving spouse, the surviving spouse shall receive fifty percent of the benefit and the children shall receive the balance of the benefit pursuant to subsection (1) or (1.5) of this section.
(c)
Upon the termination of the benefit payable to the child or children pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection (5), the surviving spouse shall receive the entire benefit pursuant to subsection (1) or (1.5) of this section.
(6)
In the event that a survivor benefit is payable for the benefit of more than one dependent child of the member pursuant to subsection (1) or (1.5) of this section and the dependent children reside in separate households from each other, the children's benefit shall be divided equally among the children.
(7)
(Deleted by amendment, L. 2002, p. 183, § 12, effective October 1, 2002.)
(8)
If a member dies while in active service as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained while performing official duties or as a result of an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of the member's employment and otherwise qualifies for benefits under subsection (1.5) of this section, but falls within one or more of the exceptions specified in section 101 (h)(2) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, and leaves a surviving spouse or dependent children, or both, said survivors shall:
(a)
Receive benefits as allowed under section
31-31-807
; or
(b)
Receive benefits as allowed under the member's normal retirement plan.
L. 98: Entire section added, p. 60, § 1, effective 2/8/1999. L. 2001: (1) and (2) amended, p. 425, § 14, effective June 1; (1) amended and (4) to (7) added, p. 82, § 2, effective 1/1/2002. L. 2002: IP(1)(a), (1)(a)(II)(A), IP(1)(b), (5), (6), and (7) amended and (1)(c), (1.5), and (8) added, pp. 182, 183, §§ 11, 12, effective October 1. L. 2007: (1)(a)(II)(A) and (1.5)(a)(II) amended, p. 271, § 4, effective March 29. L. 2012: (1)(a)(II)(A) and (1.5)(a)(II) amended, (HB 12-1018), ch. 24, p. 65, § 6, effective August 8.
Subsection (1) was amended in House Bill 01-1011. Those amendments were superseded by the amendment of subsection (1) in House Bill 01-1027, effective January 1, 2002.
For section 101 (h)(2) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986" referenced in this section, see 26 U.S.C. sec. 101(h)(2) .