Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 260 - Department of Labor and Training › Chapter 40 - Income Support › Subchapter 10 - Police and Fire › Part 2 - Board of Firefighters' Relief (260-RICR-40-10-2) › Section 260-RICR-40-10-2.3 - Rules and Regulations

Current through June 14, 2024
A. The Board of
				 Firefighter's Relief shall consist of three (3) members, one (1) member of the
				 board shall be appointed by the Director of Labor, the second member shall be
				 appointed by the Rhode Island State Association of Fire Fighter's, AFL-CIO-CLC,
				 and the third member shall be an active member of a volunteer fire department
				 who shall be appointed by the Rhode Island State Firemen's League to represent
				 volunteer fire fighters.
B. Regular
				 meetings of the Board shall be held on the first Wednesday of each month. A
				 meeting date can be changed by the members in the case of an emergency, in
				 compliance with the open Meetings Law of Rhode Island.
C. The officers of the Board shall consist of
				 a Chairman and a Secretary who shall hold office for three (3) years or until a
				 successor shall be appointed. Officers shall be elected by the Board by a
				 majority of the votes cast.
D. At
				 all meetings of the Board a majority shall constitute a quorum.
E. All claims passed by the Board and sent to
				 the State Treasurer for payment shall be signed by the Chairman and Secretary
				 of the Board.
F. All facts in a
				 case where benefits are payable shall be certified on forms furnished by the
				 Board, by the Chief or Acting Chief or officer in command of the fire
				 department or company, and in all cases, the physician who attended the injured
				 applicant must execute an affidavit. All claims must be notarized.
G. Applications for relief or benefits shall
				 be made to the Board of Firefighter's Relief in compliance with forms furnished
				 for that purpose, within ninety (90) days after return to work, but said time
				 may be extended by the Board for good cause shown.
H. If an applicant in any case, fails to
				 obtain the signature or certificate of any person or officer necessary to
				 enable the applicant to conform to the requirements of the prescribed forms,
				 the applicant shall make a written request for relief to the board, which may
				 make any order which it may deem proper.
I. Upon a dependent becoming eighteen (18)
				 years of age the dollar amount for that month shall be paid on a per idem
				 basis.
J. If an application for
				 benefits is received by the Board on or before the fifteenth (15th) day of the
				 month, the applicant shall receive benefits in the full amount for that month,
				 but if the application is received on or after the sixteenth (16th) day of the
				 month, then the applicant shall receive benefits in one-half the amount for
				 that month.
K. Applications for
				 student tuition must be received by the Board no less than two (2) months prior
				 to the start of the session the student is seeking payment for. If the student
				 fails to submit the application in the required time, the student must pay the
				 tuition and then submit the tuition receipt, payment breakdown, along with the
				 completed application for tuition benefits, to the Board, with a request for
				 reimbursement. The Board shall grant tuition payments only for those courses
				 successfully completed. At the end of each semester, students must submit a
				 copy of the official transcript from the respective college and forward it to
				 the office of the Board of Firefighters Relief. No future applications will be
				 approved until the official transcript is received. Failed or incomplete
				 courses must be reimbursed to the Board or no future applications will be
				 approved.
L. Recipients must comply
				 with school policy regarding dropping and adding courses. Students must notify
				 the Board immediately of any dropped courses paid for by the Board.
M. The board shall be subject to R.I. Gen.
				 Laws Chapter 45-35 et seq.
N. A
				 written statement either granting or denying an application for benefits will
				 be issued by the Board within sixty (60) days, unless circumstances require a
				 longer period of time.
O. All
				 medical statements provided to the Board shall be governed by R.I. Gen. Laws
				 Chapter 38-2 et seq. The chairperson or his/her designee shall be responsible
				 for maintaining the confidentiality of medical information provided to the
				 Board. In addition, correspondence mailed to the Board which contains
				 confidential medical information shall be addressed to and opened only by the
				 Chairperson or his/her designee.
P.
				 It shall be the responsibility of the annuitant to report all lost or stolen
				 checks to the Board in a timely manner. A copy of a police report shall be
				 forwarded to the Board within five (5) days of the report of any lost or stolen
				 check. Lost or stolen checks shall be replaced in accordance with procedures
				 established by the treasurer of the State of Rhode Island.