Committee weighs expanding $80,000 survivor benefit to law enforcement, corrections, psychiatric and child-protection staff

The Committee on General & Housing met April 2 to consider S89, a Senate-referred bill that would expand an existing emergency personnel survivor payment so that, in addition to firefighters and emergency medical personnel, certain law enforcement officers, Department of Corrections security/treatment staff, clinical staff at the state psychiatric hospital and classified family-services employees at the Department for Children and Families would be eligible for a one-time $80,000 payment if a death is determined to be in the line of duty or due to an occupation-related illness.

The bill sponsor told the committee the expansion would add roughly 2,100 people — primarily law enforcement and DOC employees — with somewhat smaller groups from the psychiatric hospital and DCF. "The benefit is, um, I believe it's an $80,000 benefit and it's a one-time payment," the sponsor said, describing the proposal as recognition that "there are lots of public servants that have difficult and dangerous jobs" and should have access to the state benefit. The sponsor also said S89 does not address death by suicide and encouraged the committee to examine that issue separately.

Office of Legislative Council analyst…