2023 Indiana Code › Title 36. Local Government › Article 8. Public Safety › Chapter 8. 1977 Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension and Disability Fund › 36-8-8-13.5. Applicability to Certain Fund Members; Disability Benefits for Classes of Impairment; Benefit for Catastrophic Physical Personal Injury

Sec. 13.5. (a) This section applies only to a fund member who:
(1) is hired for the first time after December 31, 1989;
(2) chooses coverage by this section and section 12.5 of this chapter under section 12.4 of this chapter; or
(3) is described in section 12.3(c)(2) of this chapter.
(b) A fund member who is determined to have a Class 1 impairment and for whom it is determined that there is no suitable and available work within the fund member's department, considering reasonable accommodation to the extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, is entitled to a monthly base benefit equal to forty-five percent (45%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment.
(c) A fund member who is determined to have a Class 2 impairment and for whom it is determined that there is no suitable and available work within the fund member's department, considering reasonable accommodation to the extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, is entitled to a monthly base benefit equal to twenty-two percent (22%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment plus one-half percent (0.5%) of that salary for each year of service, up to a maximum of thirty (30) years of service.
(d) For applicants hired before March 2, 1992, a fund member who is determined to have a Class 3 impairment and for whom it is determined that there is no suitable and available work within the fund member's department, considering reasonable accommodation to the extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, is entitled to a monthly base benefit equal to the product of the member's years of service (not to exceed thirty (30) years of service) multiplied by one percent (1%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment.
(e) For applicants hired after March 1, 1992, or described in section 12.3(c)(2) of this chapter, a fund member who is determined to have a Class 3 impairment and for whom it is determined that there is no suitable and available work within the fund member's department, considering reasonable accommodation to the extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, is entitled to the following benefits instead of benefits provided under subsection (d):
(1) If the fund member did not have a Class 3 excludable condition under section 13.6 of this chapter at the time the fund member entered or reentered the fund, the fund member is entitled to a monthly base benefit equal to the product of the member's years of service, not to exceed thirty (30) years of service, multiplied by one percent (1%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment.
(2) Except as provided in subdivision (5), a fund member is entitled to receive the benefits set forth in subdivision (1) if:
(A) the fund member had a Class 3 excludable condition under section 13.6 of this chapter at the time the fund member entered or reentered the fund;
(B) the fund member has a Class 3 impairment that is not related in any manner to the Class 3 excludable condition described in clause (A); and
(C) the Class 3 impairment described in clause (B) occurs after the fund member has completed four (4) years of service with the employer after the date the fund member entered or reentered the fund.
(3) Except as provided in subdivision (5), a fund member is not entitled to a monthly base benefit for a Class 3 impairment if:
(A) the fund member had a Class 3 excludable condition under section 13.6 of this chapter at the time the fund member entered or reentered the fund; and
(B) the Class 3 impairment occurs before the fund member has completed four (4) years of service with the employer after the date the fund member entered or reentered the fund.
(4) A fund member is not entitled to a monthly base benefit for a Class 3 impairment if:
(A) the fund member had a Class 3 excludable condition under section 13.6 of this chapter at the time the fund member entered or reentered the fund; and
(B) the Class 3 impairment is related in any manner to the Class 3 excludable condition.
(5) If, during the first four (4) years of service with the employer:
(A) a fund member with a Class 3 excludable condition is determined to have a Class 3 impairment; and
(B) the Class 3 impairment is attributable to an accidental injury that is not related in any manner to the fund member's Class 3 excludable condition;
the member is entitled to receive the benefits provided in subdivision (1) with respect to the accidental injury. For purposes of this subdivision, the local board shall make the initial determination of whether an impairment is attributable to an accidental injury. The local board shall forward the initial determination to the director of the system board for a final determination by the system board or the system board's designee.
(f) If a fund member is entitled to a monthly base benefit under subsection (b), (c), (d), or (e), the fund member is also entitled to a monthly amount that is no less than ten percent (10%) and no greater than forty-five percent (45%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment. The additional monthly amount shall be determined by the Indiana public retirement system medical authority based on the degree of impairment.
(g) Benefits for a Class 1 impairment as determined under this section are payable for the remainder of the fund member's life.
(h) Benefits for a Class 2 impairment are payable:
(1) for a period equal to the years of service of the member, if the member's total disability benefit is less than thirty percent (30%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment and the member has fewer than four (4) years of service; or
(2) for the remainder of the fund member's life if the fund member's benefit is:
(A) equal to or greater than thirty percent (30%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment; or
(B) less than thirty percent (30%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment if the member has at least four (4) years of service.
(i) Benefits for a Class 3 impairment are payable:
(1) for a period equal to the years of service of the member, if the member's total disability benefit is less than thirty percent (30%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment and the member has fewer than four (4) years of service; or
(2) until the member becomes fifty-two (52) years of age if the member's benefit is:
(A) equal to or greater than thirty percent (30%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment; or
(B) less than thirty percent (30%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment if the member has at least four (4) years of service.
(j) Upon becoming fifty-two (52) years of age, a fund member with a Class 2 impairment determined under subsection (h)(1) is entitled to receive the retirement benefit payable to a fund member with:
(1) twenty (20) years of service; or
(2) the total years of service (including both active service and the period, not to exceed twenty (20) years, during which the member received disability benefits) and salary, as of the year the member becomes fifty-two (52) years of age, that the fund member would have earned if the fund member had remained in active service until becoming fifty-two (52) years of age;
whichever is greater.
(k) Upon becoming fifty-two (52) years of age, a fund member who is receiving or has received a Class 3 impairment benefit that is:
(1) equal to or greater than thirty percent (30%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment; or
(2) less than thirty percent (30%) of the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter in the year of the local board's determination of impairment if the member has at least four (4) years of service;
is entitled to receive the retirement benefit payable to a fund member with twenty (20) years of service.
(l) Notwithstanding section 12.3 of this chapter and any other provision of this section, a member who:
(1) has had a covered impairment;
(2) recovers and returns to active service with the department; and
(3) within two (2) years after returning to active service has an impairment that, except for section 12.3(b)(3) of this chapter, would be a covered impairment;
is entitled to the benefit under this subsection if the impairment described in subdivision (3) results from the same condition or conditions (without an intervening circumstance) that caused the covered impairment described in subdivision (1). The member is entitled to receive the monthly disability benefit amount paid to the member at the time of the member's return to active service plus any adjustments under section 15 of this chapter that would have been applicable during the member's period of reemployment.
(m) As used in this subsection, "catastrophic physical personal injury" means a physical personal injury that results in a degree of impairment to the fund member of at least sixty-seven percent (67%). Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a fund member who has a permanent and total covered impairment that is the direct result of a catastrophic physical personal injury that:
(1) occurs in the line of duty after July 1, 2008; and
(2) permanently prevents the fund member from performing any gainful work;
shall receive, after July 1, 2017, a disability benefit equal to the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter at the commencement of the disability. The disability benefit provided under this subsection is paid instead of the disability benefit otherwise determined under this section. The disability benefit determined under this subsection is payable for the remainder of the fund member's life. The disability benefit provided under this subsection must be increased at a rate equal to the increases in the monthly salary of a first class patrolman or firefighter.
As added by P.L.311-1989, SEC.13. Amended by P.L.4-1992, SEC.50; P.L.213-1995, SEC.12; P.L.22-1998, SEC.24; P.L.32-2009, SEC.2; P.L.34-2009, SEC.2; P.L.35-2012, SEC.132; P.L.161-2017, SEC.6.