(a) If any member of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection in employment on June 21, 1961, who has elected survivors' benefits, or any state police officer who commenced employment subsequent to June 21, 1961, and who in either event was not subject to the federal Insurance Contributions Act for such employment, dies from any cause before retirement from state service, leaving a surviving spouse or dependent unmarried children under the age of eighteen years, there shall be paid survivors' allowances from the State Employees Retirement Fund on and after July 1, 1982, on the following basis: (1) To the surviving spouse, a monthly allowance of five hundred fifty dollars commencing immediately upon the death of such member of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection payable for the surviving spouse's lifetime; (2) if there are less than three surviving dependent children, a monthly allowance of two hundred fifty dollars per child payable to the surviving spouse or other guardian until each child reaches the age of eighteen or until the child's marriage if such occurs earlier; (3) if there are three or more surviving dependent children, a monthly allowance of five hundred seventy-five dollars to be divided equally among all the dependent children; as each such dependent child reaches the age of eighteen years, or marries, if such occurs earlier, that child's share shall be deemed divided equally among the remaining surviving children, provided each child's share shall not exceed two hundred fifty dollars; when the shares of all but one of such surviving children have ceased, the pension to the remaining surviving child shall be two hundred fifty dollars.

(b) On July 1, 2001, and on July first of each subsequent year, any person who is eligible for the survivors' allowance under subsection (a) of this section shall be entitled, in addition to such survivors' allowance, to an annual cost-of-living allowance which reflects the increase, if any, in the national consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers for the previous twelve-month period, provided such cost-of-living allowance shall not exceed three per cent. Such cost-of-living allowance shall be computed on the basis of the combined survivors' allowance and cost-of-living allowances, if any, to which such person was entitled as of the June thirtieth immediately preceding.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, survivors' allowances may be paid from the State Employees Retirement Fund in such amounts and commencing on such dates as may conform to the terms of any prevailing collective bargaining agreement effective on or after July 1, 1979, between the state and the employees' representative for state police officers. If survivors' allowances are paid in conformance with any such agreement, each person eligible for survivors' benefits under the terms of this section shall be paid such allowances.

(d) The Retirement Commission shall, at least once every two years, prepare a valuation of the assets and liabilities of the fund with respect to the system of benefits provided by this section and sections 5-147 to 5-151, inclusive. Such valuation shall be prepared for the purpose of determining the cost of funding such system and the cost of funding such system on an actuarial reserve basis.

(1961, P.A. 537, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 532, S. 1; 643; 1972, P.A. 142, S. 1; P.A. 74-156, S. 1, 2; P.A. 78-361, S. 1, 2; P.A. 80-1, S. 1, 2; P.A. 82-273; P.A. 84-411, S. 1, 8; P.A. 85-510, S. 3, 35; P.A. 00-224; P.A. 08-64, S. 1; P.A. 11-51, S. 134.)

History: 1967 acts changed monthly allowance for widows from $100 to $150 and allowed payments to widows to resume upon their reaching age 55 only if they have not remarried, previous language implied that payments resumed at that age regardless of remarriage; 1972 act increased monthly allowance for widows to $175 and raised allowance for two or more dependent children from $150 to $175; P.A. 74-156 replaced “policeman” with “police officer” and “widow” with “spouse”, eliminated distinction between surviving spouse with children and one without and extended changed provisions to those receiving allowances under prior provisions; P.A. 78-361 increased allowance for surviving spouse to $275, changed lettered subdivisions to numbered ones and made new provisions effective with regard to those receiving allowances under prior provisions; P.A. 80-1 added Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 82-273 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that changes in survivors' allowances effected by collective bargaining agreements shall apply to all persons eligible for benefits under section; P.A. 84-411 amended Subsec. (a) to increase monthly allowance payable to surviving spouse from $275 to $325; P.A. 85-510 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “state police officer” with “member of the division of state police within the department of public safety” who was not subject to the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, increasing survivors' allowances for a surviving spouse and surviving dependent children, on and after July 1, 1982, deleting provision re allowance for a surviving spouse of a state police officer who died prior to July 1, 1977, and making technical changes; P.A. 00-224 inserted new Subsec. (b) to provide cost-of-living allowance and relettered former Subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d); P.A. 08-64 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by deleting “or until subsequent remarriage”; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011.

Cited. 175 C. 424.