Bill Text: NJ S2632 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes forest firefighter death benefit.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-10-05 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [S2632 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S2632-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator CHRISTOPHER J. CONNORS
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes forest firefighter death benefit.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a forest firefighter death benefit and supplementing Title 13 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. In addition to the benefit provided pursuant to R.S.34:15-75, an annual payment of $15,000 shall be paid to the widow or widower of any forest firefighter who is compensated on an hourly basis pursuant to R.S.13:9-12 and dies as a result of an accident met in the actual performance of volunteer duties while working in an official capacity as an employee of the forest fire service, provided that the death was not the result of the forest firefighter's willful negligence.
b. If there is no surviving widow or widower, the annual amount established pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be payable to one surviving child, or shall be divided among and paid in equal shares to the surviving children if there is more than one surviving child. If there is no surviving widow, widower, or child, the annual payment shall be payable to two surviving parents in equal shares or, if there is only one surviving parent the entire amount shall be payable to that parent. If there is no surviving widow, widower, child, or parent, the payment shall be made to any other beneficiary designated by the forest firefighter. The payments shall continue until the initial beneficiary is deceased and shall not be assigned by the initial beneficiary to a subsequent beneficiary.
For the purposes of this section, a child may be over or under the age of majority at the time the annual payments commence.
c. The death benefit shall be payable if a report of the death is filed with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection within 30 days following the accident, but the commissioner may waive the time limit. The death benefits shall be paid by the State Treasurer from the General Fund.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The bill establishes an annual $15,000 death benefit for forest firefighters who die in the line of duty.
The Department of
Environmental Protection employs part-time forest firefighters who are
compensated on an hourly basis. This bill provides an annual $15,000 payment
to the families of these forest firefighters who die in the line of duty. The
death benefit is to be made payable provided the report of death is filed within
30 days following the accident, but the Commissioner of
Environmental Protection may waive the time requirement. The payment is to be
made by the State Treasurer from the General Fund.
