HB 185 / AA/FN (BR 1005) - J. Blanton, L. Belcher, K. Bratcher, L. Brown, M. Cantrell, J. Carney, T. Couch, J. Donohue, K. Fleming , K. Flood, C. Fugate, A. Gentry, J. Gooch Jr., D. Hale, M. Hart, R. Heath, R. Huff, K. Imes, J. Jenkins, K. King, S. Lee, R. Meyer, J. Miller, R. Mills, C. Morgan, K. Moser, R. Nelson, J. Nemes, D. Osborne, R. Palumbo, P. Pratt, M. Prunty, B. Reed, J. Richards, R. Rothenburger, S. Santoro, D. Schamore, J. Shell, J. Sims Jr, D. St. Onge, J. Stewart III, W. Thomas, J. Tipton, R. Webber, S. Westrom, A. Wuchner, J. York

     AN ACT relating to death-in-line-of-duty benefits and declaring an emergency.
     Amend KRS 16.505 to include in the definition of "dependent child," solely as it applies to a member who dies as a direct result of an act in line of duty or a duty-related injury, a disabled child of any age; define "monthly average pay" to mean the higher of a member's final rate of pay or average monthly creditable compensation earned during the deceased member's last 12 months of employment; amend KRS 16.601 and 61.621 to increase minimum act in line of duty or duty-related death benefits payable to the surviving spouse of a member of any of the systems administered by the Kentucky Retirement Systems from 25% to 75% of the deceased member's monthly average pay and, if there is no surviving spouse, to the dependent children at the rate of 50% for one dependent child, 65% for two dependent children, and 75% for three or more dependent children; amend KRS 61.510 to define "monthly average pay"; amend KRS 61.542 to provide that the surviving spouse shall supersede all previously designated beneficiaries in the case of line-of-duty death benefits payable from the systems administered by the Kentucky Retirement Systems unless the member files a valid beneficiary designation form after marriage to his or her spouse; amend KRS 61.702 to ensure full and timely hospital and medical insurance benefits for the spouse and dependents of a member who died as a direct result of an act in line of duty or duty-related injury; amend KRS 78.510 to define "monthly average pay"; provide that an eligible surviving spouse of a member who died as a result of an act line of duty or duty-related injury prior to the effective date of the Act shall receive the increased line of duty or duty-related death benefits; provide that a surviving spouse of a hazardous duty member who died as a result of an act in line of duty on or after January 1, 2017, who was ineligible for the minimum monthly death benefits because he or she was not named beneficiary shall be eligible for the benefits provided by this Act; EMERGENCY.