Sec. 7. DEATH BENEFITS. (a) If a member dies who is eligible to receive a service pension under Section 4 of this article, a disability pension under Section 6 of this article, or a deferred pension under Section 8(a) of this article, or who is receiving those benefits, the member's eligible survivors are entitled to death benefits as follows:

(1) if the member is survived by both an eligible spouse and one or more eligible children, the eligible spouse is entitled to receive a monthly death benefit equal to one-half of the amount the member would have been entitled to receive, and the surviving eligible children are entitled to receive a monthly death benefit equal to the remainder of the amount the member would have been entitled to receive, divided equally among the eligible children;

(2) if the member is not survived by an eligible child, or if at any time after the death of the member an eligible child is not entitled to a benefit, the monthly death benefit to be paid the eligible spouse is equal to the full amount the member would have been entitled to receive;

(3) if the member is not survived by an eligible spouse, or if the member's eligible spouse dies after being entitled to a death benefit under this section, the surviving eligible children are entitled to receive a monthly death benefit equal to the full monthly pension benefit the member would have been entitled to receive, divided equally among the member's eligible children then living; and

(4) if the member is not survived by an eligible spouse or an eligible child, a monthly death benefit equal to the full monthly pension benefit the member would have been entitled to receive shall be divided among the eligible parents of the deceased member.

(b) If a member's eligible spouse was married to the member for less than five years and was not married to the member at the time the member left active service, the eligible spouse shall be paid a reduced benefit equal to the benefit otherwise payable to the eligible spouse under this section, multiplied by the number of months the eligible spouse was married to the member, and divided by 60 months. Any benefit the eligible spouse may be granted under Section 10A of this article shall be reduced in the same proportion as the reduced benefit provided by this subsection. The amount by which the eligible spouse's benefit is reduced shall be divided among any other eligible survivors as if the member did not have an eligible spouse. This subsection may not be construed to effect any reduction to an eligible spouse of benefits otherwise payable under Section 4(d) of this article.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if a member dies in the course of the performance of the member's duties as a firefighter or suffers an on-duty disability and dies as a result of the bodily injuries that caused the on-duty disability, death benefits based on the member's service shall be computed on the basis of a benefit equal to 100 percent of the deceased member's average monthly salary.

(d) If a member dies after benefit payments have begun or at a time the member could have terminated active service and elected to receive a service pension or deferred pension immediately, the death benefits payable under this section shall begin or continue effective as of the member's date of death. If a member who is not entitled to receive any monthly pension benefit under this article other than a deferred pension under Section 8(a) of this article dies before age 50, any monthly death benefits payable under this section shall begin on the date the deceased member would have reached age 50.

(e) In addition to the monthly death benefit provided under Subsection (a) of this section, if an active member or a member receiving a service pension under Section 4 of this article or a disability pension under Section 6 of this article dies on or after July 1, 1998, the member's eligible survivors are entitled to a one-time $5,000 death benefit, payable as a lump sum as follows:

(1) if the member is survived by an eligible spouse, the eligible spouse is entitled to receive $5,000;

(2) if the member is not survived by an eligible spouse, the member's eligible children are entitled to receive $5,000, divided equally among those children;

(3) if the member is not survived by an eligible spouse or an eligible child, the $5,000 death benefit shall be divided equally among the eligible parents of the deceased member; or

(4) if the member is not survived by an eligible spouse, an eligible child, or an eligible parent, the $5,000 death benefit shall be paid to the deceased member's estate or to the member's court-approved small estate through its legal representative.

(f) A member in active service who dies, for purposes of Subsection (a) of this section, shall be treated as having become disabled because of the member's cause of death on the date of the member's death.

(g) If a member in active service dies and does not leave an eligible survivor, or the eligible survivors unanimously elect such a benefit in lieu of any other death benefit, a lump-sum benefit shall be paid in an amount equal to the refund, if any, to which the member would have been entitled under Section 8 of this article had the member terminated service on the date of the member's death. That lump-sum benefit shall be paid to the eligible survivors as provided by Subsection (a) of this section or, if there are not any eligible survivors, to the member's designated beneficiary. A member's beneficiary must be designated before the member's death on a form approved by the board. If more than one beneficiary is designated, the benefit shall be divided equally among the beneficiaries unless a different allocation is provided in the designation. If a member fails to properly designate a beneficiary, the benefit provided by this subsection shall be payable to the member's estate or to the member's court-approved small estate through its legal representative on application by the estate or legal representative. Money payable under this subsection may not escheat to the state.

(h) Death benefits are not payable under this article, including benefits to any survivor, based on a member's service if the board determines that the member's death resulted from suicide or attempted suicide that occurred before the member completed two years of participation or that the member's death resulted from a disability arising out of an attempted suicide that occurred before the member completed two years of participation.

(i) A benefit payable under this section to a member's eligible child ceases when the child ceases to be an eligible child.

(j) An eligible spouse is entitled to receive or continue to receive survivor benefits on remarriage, except that a person who is an eligible spouse of more than one member is entitled to receive survivor benefits as the eligible spouse of only the member whose survivor benefits provide the highest benefit to that eligible spouse.