Sec. 27.

(1) Except as provided in subsections (3), (4), and (5), if a member dies as a result of a personal injury or disease arising out of and in the course of his or her employment with the state and the personal injury or disease resulting in death is found by the retirement board to have been the sole and exclusive result of employment with the state, the surviving spouse shall receive a retirement allowance calculated as if the deceased member had retired effective the day before the date of death, elected option A under section 31(1), and nominated his or her spouse as retirement allowance beneficiary. The retirement allowance shall be calculated under section 20(1) based upon the amount of the deceased member's credited service. If the deceased member does not have the minimum number of years of credited service needed to vest in the retirement system, the amount of service necessary to reach that amount of credited service shall be granted.

(2) The retirement allowance payable to a surviving spouse under this section shall not be less than $6,000.00 per year. The retirement allowance first payable to a surviving spouse under subsection (1) shall not be more than an amount that, when added to the statutory worker's disability compensation benefits payable to the surviving spouse of the deceased member, equals the deceased member's final compensation.

(3) If the requirements of subsection (1) are met but the deceased member is survived by a spouse and a child or children under 21 years of age, then the retirement allowance calculated under subsections (1) and (2) shall be payable as follows:

(a) One-half to the surviving spouse.

(b) One-half to the surviving child or children under 21 years of age, in equal shares. The retirement allowance payable to a surviving child under this subsection shall terminate upon that child's marriage, death, or becoming 21 years of age, whichever occurs first. That child's share of the terminated retirement allowance shall be redistributed among the remaining children under 21 years of age, if any. When there are no surviving children entitled to a share of the retirement allowance under this subsection, the children's share shall revert to the surviving spouse.

(4) If the requirements of subsection (1) are met and the deceased member is not survived by a spouse but is survived by a child or children under 21 years of age, then the retirement allowance calculated under subsections (1) and (2) shall be paid to the surviving child or children in equal shares. The retirement allowance payable to a surviving child under this subsection shall terminate upon that child's marriage, death, or becoming 21 years of age, whichever occurs first. That child's share of the terminated retirement allowance shall be redistributed among the remaining children under 21 years of age, if any.

(5) If the other requirements of subsection (1) are met and neither a surviving spouse nor an eligible child surviving the deceased member or duty disability retirant exists, a monthly allowance shall be paid to 1 surviving dependent parent whom the retirement board finds to be totally and permanently disabled and to have been dependent upon the deceased member or retirant for at least 50% of the parent's financial support. Subject to section 20j, the allowance shall be computed in the same manner as if the deceased member or retirant had retired for reasons of age and service effective the day preceding the member's or retirant's death, elected the option provided in section 31(1)(a), and nominated the surviving parent as retirement allowance beneficiary. The surviving parent's beneficiary retirement allowance shall terminate upon marriage or death.

History: 1943, Act 240, Eff. July 30, 1943 ;-- Am. 1944, 1st Ex. Sess., Act 25, Imd. Eff. Feb. 29, 1944 ;-- CL 1948, 38.27 ;-- Am. 1953, Act 196, Eff. Oct. 2, 1953 ;-- Am. 1954, Act 126, Eff. Aug. 13, 1954 ;-- Am. 1955, Act 237, Imd. Eff. June 21, 1955 ;-- Am. 1986, Act 25, Imd. Eff. Mar. 10, 1986 ;-- Am. 1987, Act 241, Imd. Eff. Dec. 28, 1987 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 109, Imd. Eff. May 20, 2004 ;-- Am. 2011, Act 264, Imd. Eff. Dec. 15, 2011 Compiler's Notes: Enacting section 1 of Act 264 of 2011 provides:"Enacting section 1. If the office of retirement services in the department of technology, management, and budget receives notification from the United States internal revenue service that any section or any portion of a section of this amendatory act will cause the retirement system to be disqualified for tax purposes under the internal revenue code, then the portion that will cause the disqualification does not apply."