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Bill aligning Line of Duty Act beneficiary timeline with workers' compensation passed over for the day
Summary
Delegate McQuinn presented HB 2204 to align Line of Duty Act payment eligibility with a 10-year workers' compensation standard for certain cancer-related deaths; proponents urged the change but the subcommittee passed the bill "by for the day" citing fiscal constraints.
Delegate McQuinn summarized House Bill 2204, which would change the Line of Duty Act's payment-to-beneficiary timeline for certain cancer-related deaths to 10 years from a retiree's date of retirement, aligning it with a 2022 change to the Workers' Compensation Act.
"What this bill does in terms of a summary, it provides that if there's a deceased person ... dies as a result of a certain cancer within 10 years from the date of their retirement, their beneficiary shall be entitled to a payment of certain benefits," Delegate McQuinn said. Jennifer Pike of the Virginia Professional Firefighters testified in support, saying the bill "simply aligns what is now 10 years under the workers compensation act with the line of duty death benefits." Pike added that without alignment, some fallen firefighters who die between five and 10 years post-retirement would not qualify to be included on the public safety memorial on Capitol Square.
Subcommittee discussion noted a fiscal impact. Delegate Boulevard moved to "pass this by for the day" to keep options open given budget limitations; the motion carried. The transcript records that members were mindful of the Commonwealth's fiscal capacity that session and that a budgetary amendment would be necessary to enact the change.
No final vote on the bill's merits occurred; the subcommittee took no further action beyond the procedural pass-by recorded on the board.
