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Bill to close loophole for survivor benefits of children of fallen public safety officers wins broad support at hearing
Summary
Senate Bill 208 would ensure dependent children do not lose survivorship retirement benefits if they turn 18 while still in high school. Proponents from public‑safety unions and the state retirement administrator described the change as a narrow fix to an apparent drafting oversight.
Senator Laura Smith, sponsor of Senate Bill 208, told the Senate Business, Labor & Economic Affairs Committee the bill “bridges the gap for dependent children who are receiving a retirement benefit earned by a deceased parent.” Smith said the change was prompted by a rare but consequential situation in which a child who turned 18 while still in high school lost statutory eligibility for survivorship benefits.
What the bill does: The measure would amend survivor‑benefit language in three defined‑benefit public‑safety retirement systems (highway patrol, municipal police and firefighters) so that a dependent child who turns 18 while still enrolled in secondary school does not lose the…
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