October 6, 2005 HB 875 PN 2658 59
11 October 2005 ACT SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR. REF: Death benefits and fire police clarification.


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§ 4301. DATE SIGNED BILL NO. PRINTER�S NO. ACT - October 6, 2005 HB 875 PN 2658 59

Amends Act 101 of 1976, referred to as the �Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act,� by: (1) increasing from $50,000 to $100,000 the amount of the emergency and law enforcement personnel death benefit; (2) establishing that an eligible beneficiary who suffers a fatal heart attack or stroke, while on duty or not later than 24 hours after participating in a physical training exercise or responding to an emergency, is presumed to have died as a result of the performance of his duties; (3) altering technical language to provide that eligible beneficiaries are those that �died as a result of the performance of their duties�; and (4) making the amendatory language retroactive to December 15. 2003.

§ Quote from Harrisburg:

�Fire Police Officers are required to be a member of the volunteer fire department� so as a member of the fire department� that is acting in the capacity of a fire police officer� they are covered under the death benefit program.� (I.E. fire police do not have to act in the capacity of firefighter, such as rolling and pulling hose, putting out fires, etc... but only have to be members of the fire department in order to receive benefits.