(40 ILCS 5/7-164) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 7-164)

Sec. 7-164. Death benefits - Amount. The amount of the death benefit shall be:

1. Upon the death of an employee with at least one year of service occurring while in an employment relationship (including employees drawing disability benefits) with a participating municipality or participating instrumentality, an amount equal to the sum of:

(a) The employee's normal, additional and survivor credits, including interest credited thereto through the end of the preceding calendar year, but excluding credits and interest thereon allowed for periods of disability.

(b) An amount equal to the employee's annual final rate of earnings. An employee who dies as a result of injuries connected with his duties shall be considered to have a year of service for purposes of this benefit.

2. Upon the death of an employee with less than 1 year of service occurring while in the service of any participating municipality or instrumentality, an amount equal to the sum of his accumulated normal, additional and survivor credits on the date of death, excluding those credits and interest thereon allowed during periods of disability.

3. Upon the death of an employee who has separated from service and was not entitled to a retirement annuity on the date of death, an amount equal to the sum of his accumulated normal, survivor and additional credits on the date of death excluding those credits and interest thereon allowed during periods of disability.

4. Upon the death of an employee in an employment relationship, or an employee who has service and was entitled to a retirement annuity on the date of death, when a surviving spouse or child annuity is awarded, $3,000.

5. Upon the death of an employee, who has separated from service and was entitled to a retirement annuity on the date of death, and no surviving spouse or child annuity is awarded, $3,000 plus an amount equal to his accumulated normal, survivor and additional credits on the date of death, excluding those credits and interest earned thereon allowed during periods of disability.

6. Upon the death of an employee annuitant, $3,000 and, unless a surviving spouse, child or reversionary annuity is payable, the sum of (i) the excess of the normal and survivor credits, excluding those allowed during periods of disability, which the annuitant had as of the effective date of his annuity over the total annuities paid pursuant to paragraph (a) 1 of Section 7-142 to the date of death, plus (ii) the excess of the additional credits, excluding any such credits used to create a reversionary annuity, used to provide the annuity granted pursuant to paragraph (a) 2 of Section 7-142 over the total annuity payments made pursuant thereto to the time of death.

7. Upon the death of an annuitant receiving a reversionary annuity or of a person designated to receive a reversionary annuity prior to the receipt of such annuity the sum of the additional credits of the person creating the reversionary annuity as of the effective date of his own retirement annuity over the reversionary annuity payments, if any, made prior to the date of death of such annuitant or person designated to receive the reversionary annuity.

8. Upon the death of an annuitant receiving a beneficiary annuity which was effective before January 1, 1986, the excess of the death benefit which was used to provide the annuity, over the sum of all annuity payments made to the beneficiary. Upon the death of an annuitant receiving a beneficiary annuity effective January 1, 1986 or thereafter, the sum of (i) the excess of the normal and survivor credits, excluding those allowed during periods of disability, which the annuitant had as of the effective date of his annuity over the total annuities paid pursuant to paragraph (c) of Section 7-165, to date of death, plus (ii) the excess of the additional credits, excluding any such credits used to create a reversionary annuity, used to provide the annuity granted pursuant to paragraph (d) of Section 7-165 over the total annuity payments made pursuant thereto to the time of death.

9. Upon the marriage prior to reaching age 55 (except for a surviving spouse who remarries after December 31, 2000) or death of a person receiving a surviving spouse annuity, unless a child annuity is payable, the sum of (i) the excess of the normal and survivor credits, excluding those credits and interest thereon allowed during periods of disability, attributable to the employee at the effective date of the annuity or date of death, whichever first occurred, over the total of all annuity payments attributable to paragraph (a) 1 of Section 7-142 made to the employee or surviving spouse plus (ii) the excess of the additional credits, excluding any such credits used to create a reversionary annuity or used to provide the annuity attributable to paragraph (a) 2 of Section 7-142 over the total of such payments.

10. Upon the marriage, death or attainment of age 18 of a child receiving a child annuity, if no other child annuities are payable, the sum of (i) the excess of the normal and survivor credits excluding those credits and interest thereon allowed during periods of disability, of the employee at the effective date of the annuity or date of death, whichever first occurred, over the total annuity payments attributable to paragraph (a) 1 of Section 7-142 made to the employee, surviving spouse and children plus (ii) the excess of the additional credits, excluding any such credits used to create a reversionary annuity, used to provide the annuity attributable to paragraph (a) 2 of Section 7-142 over the total annuity payments made to the employee, surviving spouse and children, pursuant thereto.

11. Upon the death of the participating employee whose annuity was suspended upon his return to employment:

a. If a surviving spouse or child annuity is awarded, $3,000;

b. If no surviving spouse or child annuity is awarded and he had less than one year's service upon return, $3,000 plus the excess of the normal, survivor and additional credits, including interest thereon, but excluding those allowed during a period of disability, at the effective date of the suspended annuity, plus those allowed after his return, over all annuity payments made to the employee;

c. If no surviving spouse or child annuity is awarded and he has one year or more of service upon return, the higher of (a) the payment under subparagraph b of this paragraph or (b) the payment under paragraph 1 of this Section, taking into consideration only the service and credits allowed after his return, plus the excess of the normal, survivor and additional credits, including interest thereon, excluding those allowed during periods of disability, at the effective date of his suspended annuity over all annuity payments made to the employee.

12. The $3,000 death benefit provided in paragraphs 4 and 6 shall not be payable to beneficiaries of persons who terminated service prior to September 8, 1971, unless the payment or agreement for payment provided by Section 7-144.2 of this Article is made prior to the date of death.

13. The increase in certain death benefits from $1,000 to $3,000 provided by this amendatory Act of 1987 shall apply only to deaths occurring on or after January 1, 1988.

(Source: P.A. 91-887, eff. 7-6-00.)