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1H.57
2 Introduced by Representatives Higley of Lowell, Arsenault of Williston,
3Bailey of Hyde Park, Burditt of West Rutland, Burtt of Cabot,
4Casey of Hubbardton, Coffin of Cavendish, Dickinson of St.
5Albans Town, Dobrovich of Williamstown, Galfetti of Barre
6Town, Goslant of Northfield, Hango of Berkshire, Keyser of
7Rutland City, Krasnow of South Burlington, Labor of Morgan,
8Luneau of St. Albans City, Maguire of Rutland City, Masland
9of Thetford, McFaun of Barre Town, Morgan, L. of Milton,
10Morgan, M. of Milton, Morrissey of Bennington, Nielsen of
11Brandon, Noyes of Wolcott, Oliver of Sheldon, Page of
12Newport City, Powers of Waterford, Southworth of Walden,
13and Tagliavia of Corinth
14 Referred to Committee on
15 Date:
16 Subject: Public safety; law enforcement officers; survivors’ benefits
17 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to provide the
18 same monetary benefit currently available to survivors of firefighters and
19 emergency personnel to survivors of law enforcement officers.
20An act relating to survivor benefits for law enforcement officers
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1It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
2 Sec. 1. SHORT TITLE
3    This act may be cited as “Jessica’s Law.”
4 Sec. 2. 20 V.S.A. chapter 181 is amended to read:
5   CHAPTER 181. BENEFITS FOR THE SURVIVORS OF EMERGENCY
6PERSONNEL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
7 § 3171. DEFINITIONS
8    As used in this chapter:
9(1) “Board” means the Emergency Personnel and Law Enforcement
10 Officers Survivors Benefit Review Board.
11***
12(4) “Line of duty” means:
13(A) answering or returning from With respect to emergency
14 personnel:
15(i) service in answer to a call of the department or service for a
16 fire or emergency or, including going to and returning from a fire or
17 emergency or participating in a fire or emergency training drill; or
18(B)(ii) similar service in another town or district to which the
19 department or service has been called for firefighting or emergency purposes.
20(B) With respect to law enforcement officers:
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1(i) service as a law enforcement officer in answer to a complaint
2 lodged with the department or in response to a disorder, including going to,
3 returning from, and investigating or responding to the complaint or disorder; or
4(ii) service under orders from the department or in any emergency
5 for which the law enforcement officer serves as a law enforcement officer.
6***
7(7) “Survivor” means a spouse, child, or parent of emergency personnel
8 or a law enforcement officer.
9(8) “Law enforcement officer” means a law enforcement officer who
10 has been certified by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council pursuant to section
11 2358 of this title.
12 § 3172. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
13OFFICERS SURVIVORS BENEFIT REVIEW BOARD
14    (a)(1) There is created the Emergency Personnel and Law Enforcement
15 Officers Survivors Benefit Review Board, which shall consist of the State
16 Treasurer or designee, the Attorney General or designee, the Chief Fire Service
17 Training Officer of the Vermont Fire Service Training Council or designee,
18 and the Executive Director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council or
19 designee, one member of the public to represent the interests of emergency
20 personnel appointed by the Governor for a term of two years, and one member
21 of the public to represent the interests of law enforcement officers. The
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1 members of the public shall be appointed by the Governor for a term of two
2 years.
3(2) Survivors of emergency personnel, employed by or who volunteer
4 for the State of Vermont, a county or municipality of the State, or a nonprofit
5 entity that provides services in the State, the following individuals who die in
6 the line of duty or of an occupation-related illness may request the Board
7 award a monetary benefit under section 3173 of this title:
8(A) emergency personnel, employed by or who volunteer for the
9 State of Vermont, a county or municipality of the State, or a nonprofit entity
10 that provides access to services in the State; and
11(B) law enforcement officers.
12(3) The Board shall be responsible for determining whether to award
13 monetary benefits under section 3173 of this title. A decision to award
14 monetary benefits shall be made by unanimous vote of the Board and shall be
15 made within 60 days after the receipt of all information necessary to enable the
16 Board to determine eligibility.
17(4) The Board may request any information necessary for the exercise of
18 its duties under this section. Nothing in this section shall prevent the Board
19 from initiating the investigation or determination of a claim before being
20 requested by a survivor or employer of emergency personnel or a law
21 enforcement officer.
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1***
2    (c) If the Board decides to award a monetary benefit, the benefit shall be
3 paid to the surviving spouse or, if the emergency personnel or law enforcement
4 officer had no spouse at the time of death, to the surviving child, or equally
5 among surviving children. If the deceased emergency personnel or law
6 enforcement officer is not survived by a spouse or child, the benefit shall be
7 paid to a surviving parent, or equally between surviving parents. If the
8 deceased emergency personnel or law enforcement officer is not survived by a
9 spouse, children, or parents, the Board shall not award a monetary benefit
10 under this chapter.
11***
12    (f) The Each member of the public appointed by the Governor shall be
13 entitled to per diem compensation authorized under 32 V.S.A. § 1010 for each
14 day spent in the performance of his or her the member’s duties.
15 § 3173. MONETARY BENEFIT
16    (a) The survivors of emergency personnel or a law enforcement officer who
17 dies while in the line of duty or from an occupation-related illness may apply
18 for a payment of $80,000.00 from the State.
19***
20 § 3175. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
21OFFICERS SURVIVORS BENEFIT SPECIAL FUND
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1    (a) The Emergency Personnel and Law Enforcement Officers Survivors
2 Benefit Special Fund is established in the Office of the State Treasurer for the
3 purpose of the payment of claims distributed pursuant to this chapter. The
4 Fund shall comprise appropriations made by the General Assembly and
5 contributions or donations from any other source. All balances in the Fund at
6 the end of the fiscal year shall be carried forward. Interest earned shall remain
7 in the Fund.
8***
9 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE
10    This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
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