§3645. Death benefits

A. On and after July 2, 1973, whenever an active or retired policeman dies, a death benefit of two thousand dollars shall be paid to the beneficiary of the deceased member from the pension fund upon a certificate signed by the department physician, superintendent and chairman of the relief committee, which certificate shall state the name of the deceased, the name of the beneficiary, the cause of death and other necessary information. Each member of the department shall sign with the secretary-treasurer the name of the person to whom death benefits are to be paid and the relationship of the donor to the donee, if any.

B.(1) If any officer, member or employee of the police department, who contributes to the police pension fund, is killed or dies from immediate effects of any injury received while engaged in the discharge of his or her duties and leaves a spouse or if no spouse, a child or children under the age of eighteen, or if no spouse or child under the age of eighteen, a widowed mother, the sum of fifty percent of his or her salary at the time of death, by way of an annuity, shall be paid to such beneficiary out of the fund. The benefit to the spouse shall cease when the spouse remarries, in which case the benefit payable for each child of the deceased member, officer, or employee shall be paid in accordance with Subsection C. The benefit to the widowed mother shall cease when she remarries.

(2) If any officer, member, or employee of the police department who contributes to the police pension fund dies from any cause unconnected with the performance of his or her duties while a member or retired member, leaving a spouse, the sum of five hundred dollars per month shall be paid to such spouse, or if no spouse, a child or children under the age of eighteen, or if no spouse or child under the age of eighteen, a widowed mother, the sum of not less than six hundred dollars nor more than seven hundred dollars per annum, by way of an annuity shall be paid to such child out of the fund, and each widowed mother shall be paid a sum of not less than two hundred dollars per month.

C. The sum of two hundred dollars per month shall be paid to the spouse or guardian for each child under the age of eighteen of any deceased member, officer, or employee, whether or not the officer, member, or employee is killed or dies or has been killed or died from the immediate effects of an injury received while engaged in the discharge of his or her duty. This payment shall cease when the child reaches the age of eighteen or is married. The annuity benefit to the spouse shall cease when the spouse remarries. The benefit to the widowed mother shall cease when she remarries. In each case, the board shall decide the circumstances thereof and order payment of the annuity to be made.

D. Any qualified surviving spouse, who shall marry and thereby cease to be a qualified surviving spouse, shall be reinstated as a qualified surviving spouse as of: (1) the date upon which a judgment or decree shall become final dissolving such marriage upon any ground or declaring a void or voidable marriage to have been null and void or voided, provided, however, that such date shall be within five years from the date of the marriage ceremony; or (2) the date upon which such marriage shall be dissolved by the death of the other party hereto, provided, however, that such date shall be within five years from the date of the marriage ceremony. Such reinstated qualified surviving spouse shall be entitled to the reinstatement of her pension effective as of either such date, whichever shall be applicable, but shall not be entitled to the payment of any pension prior to such applicable date and subsequent to the date of the marriage ceremony. The pension to any other beneficiary or beneficiaries during the period of the marriage or purported marriage of such reinstated qualified surviving spouse shall cease when her pension shall be reinstated, except as is otherwise provided. However, should such reinstated qualified surviving spouse thereafter be a party to another marriage ceremony, her pension as such shall cease and never again shall be reinstated regardless of whether such marriage ceremony shall result in a valid marriage or in a voidable or void marriage and whether or not the same legally shall be terminated. The reinstatement of the pension of a reinstated qualified surviving spouse shall not commence until such date as the qualified surviving spouse shall make written request to the board for reinstatement.

E. Dependent child or children as referred to in this Subsection shall include, regardless of any age any child who has a physical and/or mental disability and shall receive benefits throughout life if medical and/or psychological information indicates the child has a total and permanent disability. If, however, medical or psychological information indicates that the child with a disability can benefit from specialized training in order to be rendered self supporting, then the child will receive benefits so long as he is actively enrolled in a specialized school or training program until such time as such child is certified as being qualified to engage in gainful employment. The board of trustees may demand at reasonable intervals that the child submit to a medical and/or psychological examination for current evaluation, subject to the penalty of all monthly payments being suspended until submission to examination within fifteen days after request.

Amended by Acts 1952, No. 395, §1; Acts 1960, No. 301, §1; Acts 1967, No. 69, §1; Acts 1969, No. 136, §1; Acts 1972, No. 374, §2; Acts 1973, No. 198, §1; Acts 1975, No. 348, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 33:2293 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 154, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §4, eff. June 23, 2014.

NOTE: Acts 2014, No. 811 changed terminology referring to persons with disabilities throughout the La. Revised Statutes and codes of law, and included a listing of terms that were deleted and their respective successor terms (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §36). The Act provides that it is not the intent of the legislature that changes in terminology effected therein alter or affect in any way the substance, interpretation, or application of any law or administrative rule; further provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to expand or diminish any right of or benefit for any person provided by any law or administrative rule (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §35(C) and (D)).