HB 569 — An Act amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act, further providing for title of act; and adding provisions relating to coroners.

PRINTER'S NO.    573

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 569
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY HAMM, HARKINS, STENDER, ROWE, KAUFFMAN, KENYATTA,
        FLICK, BENNINGHOFF, WATRO, RIGBY AND BARGER,
        FEBRUARY 12, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 12, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled
 2      "An act providing for the payment of death benefits to the
 3      surviving spouse or children or parents of firefighters,
 4      ambulance service or rescue squad members, law enforcement
 5      officers or National Guard members who die as a result of the
 6      performance of their duties," further providing for title of
 7      act; and adding provisions relating to coroners.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    The title of the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424,
11   No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement
12   Personnel Death Benefits Act, is amended to read:
13                                  AN ACT
14   Providing for the payment of death benefits to the surviving
15      spouse or children or parents of firefighters, ambulance
16      service or rescue squad members, law enforcement officers,
17      coroners or National Guard members who die as a result of the
18      performance of their duties.
19      Section 2.    Section 1(a) introductory paragraph, (a.1) and
20   (d) of the act are amended and the section is amended by adding
 1   a subsection to read:
 2      Section 1.   (a)   In the event a law enforcement officer,
 3   coroner, ambulance service or rescue squad member, firefighter,
 4   certified hazardous material response team member, member of the
 5   Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol or National Guard member dies as a
 6   result of the performance of his duties, an application,
 7   including a certification of death, shall be made to the
 8   department within three years of the date of such death by any
 9   of the following:
10      * * *
11      (a.1)   A firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad
12   member, law enforcement officer, coroner, certified hazardous
13   material response team member, member of the Pennsylvania Civil
14   Air Patrol or National Guard member who suffers a fatal heart
15   attack or stroke while on duty or not later than 24 hours after
16   participating in a physical training exercise or responding to
17   an emergency is presumed to have died as a result of the
18   performance of his duties for purposes of this act.
19      * * *
20      (d)   Upon receipt of such certification, the Commonwealth
21   shall, from moneys payable out of the General Fund, pay to the
22   surviving spouse or, if there is no surviving spouse, to the
23   minor children of the paid firefighter, ambulance service or
24   rescue squad member [or], law enforcement officer or coroner who
25   died as a result of the performance of his duty the sum of
26   $100,000, adjusted in accordance with subsection (f) of this
27   section and an amount equal to the monthly salary, adjusted in
28   accordance with subsection (f) of this section, of the deceased
29   paid firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad member [or],
30   law enforcement officer or coroner, less any workers'

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 1   compensation or pension or retirement benefits paid to such
 2   survivors, and shall continue such monthly payments until there
 3   is no eligible beneficiary to receive them. For the purpose of
 4   this subsection, the term "eligible beneficiary" means the
 5   surviving spouse or the child or children under the age of
 6   eighteen years or, if attending college, under the age of
 7   twenty-three years, of the firefighter, ambulance service or
 8   rescue squad member [or], law enforcement officer or coroner who
 9   died as a result of the performance of his duty. When no spouse
10   or minor children survive, a single sum of $100,000, adjusted in
11   accordance with subsection (f) of this section, shall be paid to
12   the parent or parents of such firefighter, ambulance service
13   member, rescue squad member [or], law enforcement officer or
14   coroner.
15      * * *
16      (h)     A coroner shall be deemed to be acting in the
17   performance of his duties for the purposes of this act when
18   acting in accordance with 16 Pa.C.S. Ch. 139 (relating to
19   coroner).
20      Section 3.    Section 2 of the act is amended by adding a
21   definition to read:
22      Section 2.    The following words and phrases when used in this
23   act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless
24   the context clearly indicates otherwise:
25      * * *
26      "Coroner" means an elected or appointed coroner or deputy
27   coroner or an elected or appointed medical examiner.
28      * * *
29      Section 4.    Section 2.1 of the act is amended to read:
30      Section 2.1.    This act shall be broadly construed to grant

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1   benefits to firefighters, ambulance service or rescue squad
2   members, law enforcement officers, coroners or National Guard
3   personnel for deaths related to the performance of their duties.
4      Section 5.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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