State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_HB0659

      40 ILCS 5/4-114           from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-114
      30 ILCS 805/8.21 new
          Amends the Downstate Firefighter Article of  the  Pension
      Code to provide that the pension of the surviving spouse of a
      firefighter  who  dies  in the line of duty shall not be less
      than 100% of the salary attached to  the  rank  held  by  the
      deceased  firefighter on the last day of service.  Amends the
      State  Mandates  Act  to   require   implementation   without
      reimbursement.  Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9000414EGfg
                                               LRB9000414EGfg
 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the Illinois Pension Code by changing
 2    Section 4-114 and to amend the State Mandates Act.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.   The  Illinois  Pension  Code  is amended by
 6    changing Section 4-114 as follows:
 7        (40 ILCS 5/4-114) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-114)
 8        Sec. 4-114.  Pension to survivors. If a  firefighter  who
 9    is  not receiving a disability pension under Section 4-110 or
10    4-110.1 dies (1) as a result of any illness or  accident,  or
11    (2)  from  any cause while in receipt of a disability pension
12    under this Article, or (3) during retirement after  20  years
13    service,  or  (4) while vested for or in receipt of a pension
14    payable under subsection (b) of Section 4-109, or (5) while a
15    deferred pensioner, having made all required contributions, a
16    pension shall be paid to his or her survivors, based  on  the
17    monthly salary attached to the firefighter's rank on the last
18    day of service in the fire department, as follows:
19        (a)  To the surviving spouse, a monthly pension of 40% of
20    the monthly salary, and to the guardian of any minor child or
21    children  including  a child which has been conceived but not
22    yet born, 12% of such monthly  salary  for  each  such  child
23    until  attainment  of  age  18 or until the child's marriage,
24    whichever occurs first.  Beginning July 1, 1993, the  monthly
25    pension  to  the surviving spouse shall be 54% of the monthly
26    salary for all persons receiving a surviving  spouse  pension
27    under  this  Article,  regardless  of  whether  the  deceased
28    firefighter  was in service on or after the effective date of
29    this amendatory Act of 1993.
30        The pension to the surviving spouse  shall  terminate  in
31    the  event of the surviving spouse's remarriage prior to July
                            -2-                LRB9000414EGfg
 1    1, 1993; remarriage on or after that date does not affect the
 2    surviving  spouse's  pension,  regardless  of   whether   the
 3    deceased firefighter was in service on or after the effective
 4    date of this amendatory Act of 1993.
 5        The  surviving  spouse's  pension shall be subject to the
 6    minimum established in Section 4-109.2.
 7        (b)  Upon the death of the surviving spouse  leaving  one
 8    or  more  minor  children,  to the duly appointed guardian of
 9    each such child, for support and  maintenance  of  each  such
10    child  until  the  child reaches age 18 or marries, whichever
11    occurs first, a monthly pension of 20% of the monthly salary.
12        (c)  If a deceased firefighter leaves no surviving spouse
13    or unmarried minor  children  under  age  18,  but  leaves  a
14    dependent  father  or  mother,  to  each  dependent  parent a
15    monthly pension of 18% of the monthly salary.  To qualify for
16    the pension, a dependent  parent  must  furnish  satisfactory
17    proof that the deceased firefighter was at the time of his or
18    her death the sole supporter of the parent or that the parent
19    was the deceased's dependent for federal income tax purposes.
20        (d)  The total pension provided under paragraphs (a), (b)
21    and  (c)  of this Section shall not exceed 75% of the monthly
22    salary of the deceased  firefighter  (1)  when  paid  to  the
23    survivor  of  a firefighter who has attained 20 or more years
24    of service credit and who receives or is eligible to  receive
25    a  retirement pension under this Article, or (2) when paid to
26    the survivor of a firefighter who dies as a result of illness
27    or  accident,  or  (3)  when  paid  to  the  survivor  of   a
28    firefighter  who  dies  from  any cause while in receipt of a
29    disability pension under this Article, or (4)  when  paid  to
30    the   survivor  of  a  deferred  pensioner.   For  all  other
31    survivors  of  deceased  firefighters,  the   total   pension
32    provided  under  paragraphs  (a), (b) and (c) of this Section
33    shall  not  exceed  50%  of  the   retirement   annuity   the
34    firefighter would have received on the date of death.
                            -3-                LRB9000414EGfg
 1        (e)  If  a firefighter leaves no eligible survivors under
 2    paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), the board shall  refund  to  the
 3    firefighter's  estate  the  amount  of his or her accumulated
 4    contributions, less the amount of pension payments,  if  any,
 5    made to the firefighter while living.
 6        (f)  An   adopted  child  is  eligible  for  the  pension
 7    provided under paragraph (a) if the child was adopted  before
 8    the firefighter attained age 50.
 9        (g)  If  a  judgment of dissolution of marriage between a
10    firefighter and spouse is judicially set aside subsequent  to
11    the firefighter's death, the surviving spouse is eligible for
12    the  pension  provided  in paragraph (a) only if the judicial
13    proceedings are filed within 2 years after the  date  of  the
14    dissolution  of  marriage  and  within  one  year  after  the
15    firefighter's  death  and  the  board  is made a party to the
16    proceedings. In such case the pension shall be  payable  only
17    from the date of the court's order setting aside the judgment
18    of dissolution of marriage.
19        (h)  Benefits  payable  on  account of a child under this
20    Section shall not be reduced or terminated by reason  of  the
21    child's  attainment  of age 18 if he or she is then dependent
22    by reason of  a  physical  or  mental  disability  but  shall
23    continue  to  be  paid  as long as such dependency continues.
24    Individuals over the age of 18 and  adjudged  as  a  disabled
25    person  pursuant  to  Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975,
26    except for persons receiving benefits under  Article  III  of
27    the  Illinois  Public  Aid Code, shall be eligible to receive
28    benefits under this Act.
29        (i)  Notwithstanding subsection  (d)  or  any  the  other
30    provisions  of  this  Section,  the  pension of the surviving
31    spouse of a firefighter who dies on or  after  the  effective
32    date  of this amendatory Act of 1997 as a result of sickness,
33    accident,  or  injury  incurred  in  or  resulting  from  the
34    performance of an act of duty or from the cumulative  effects
                            -4-                LRB9000414EGfg
 1    of  acts  of  duty  shall not be less than 100% of the salary
 2    attached to the rank held by the deceased firefighter on  the
 3    last day of service.
 4    (Source: P.A. 89-136, eff. 7-14-95; 89-168, eff. 7-19-95.)
 5        Section  90.  The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
 6    Section 8.21 as follows:
 7        (30 ILCS 805/8.21 new)
 8        Sec. 8.21. Exempt mandate.   Notwithstanding  Sections  6
 9    and  8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required
10    for  the  implementation  of  any  mandate  created  by  this
11    amendatory Act of 1997.
12        Section 99. Effective date.  This Act takes  effect  upon
13    becoming law.

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