§ 299A.44 — Death Benefit
Plain-Language Summary
When a public safety officer is killed in the line of duty, the state pays $100,000 (adjusted for inflation) to the officer's family. The money goes to the spouse, dependent children, dependent parents, or the officer's estate, depending on who survives. The benefit amount is adjusted each year based on the Consumer Price Index.
299A.44 DEATH BENEFIT.
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Subdivision 1.Payment required.
(a) On certification to the governor by the commissioner of public safety that a public safety officer employed within this state has been killed in the line of duty, the commissioner of management and budget shall pay $100,000 from the public safety officer’s benefit account, as follows:
(1) if there is no dependent child, to the spouse;
(2) if there is no spouse, to the dependent child or children in equal shares;
(3) if there are both a spouse and one or more dependent children, one-half to the spouse and one-half to the child or children, in equal shares;
(4) if there is no surviving spouse or dependent child or children, to the parent or parents dependent for support on the decedent, in equal shares; or
(5) if there is no surviving spouse, dependent child, or dependent parent, to the public safety officer’s estate.
(b) If there are both a spouse and one or more dependent children under age 18, the spouse, at the spouse’s discretion, may spend a maximum of one-third of a child’s share on medical or dental treatment for the child or the child’s education. Expenditures under this paragraph on behalf of a child do not diminish the shares of any other children. In addition, a spouse, at the spouse’s discretion, may expend money from a child’s share to pay state and federal taxes on any interest accrued on the share. §
Subd. 2.Adjustment of benefit.
On October 1 of each year beginning after July 1, 1995, the commissioner of public safety shall adjust the level of the benefit payable immediately before October 1 under subdivision 1, to reflect the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers, published by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, occurring in the one-year period ending on June 1 immediately preceding such October 1.
History:
1990 c 591 art 5 s 4; 1995 c 133 s 1; 1995 c 226 art 2 s 4; 1995 c 265 art 2 s 26; 1Sp2003 c 2 art 4 s 3; 2009 c 101 art 2 s 109
History: History: 1990 c 591 art 5 s 4; 1995 c 133 s 1; 1995 c 226 art 2 s 4; 1995 c 265 art 2 s 26; 1Sp2003 c 2 art 4 s 3; 2009 c 101 art 2 s 109