State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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90_HB1347eng

      New Act
      30 ILCS 805/8.21 new
          Creates  the  Public  Safety   Employee   Benefits   Act.
      Provides that employers of full-time law enforcement officers
      and  firefighters  that are killed or disabled in the line of
      duty shall  continue  health  benefits  for  the  officer  or
      firefighter  and  the spouses and children thereof.  Requires
      the State to waive educational  costs  for  the  children  of
      officers  and  firefighters  at  State  supported educational
      institutions.  Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9003884JSgc
HB1347 Engrossed                               LRB9003884JSgc
 1        AN ACT concerning  benefits  for  certain  public  safety
 2    officers.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 6    Public Safety Employee Benefits Act.
 7        Section  5.  Declaration  of State interest.  The General
 8    Assembly determines and declares that the provisions of  this
 9    Act fulfill an important State interest.
10        Section 10.  Required health coverage benefits.
11        (a)  An employer who employs a full-time law enforcement,
12    correctional    or   correctional   probation   officer,   or
13    firefighter, who, on or after the effective date of this  Act
14    suffers  a  catastrophic  injury  or is killed in the line of
15    duty shall pay the entire premium of the  employer's   health
16    insurance   plan   for  the  injured  employee,  the  injured
17    employee's spouse,  and  for  each  dependent  child  of  the
18    injured  employee until the child reaches the age of majority
19    or until the end of the calendar  year  in  which  the  child
20    reaches  the age of 25 if the child continues to be dependent
21    for support or the child is a full-time or part-time  student
22    and  is  dependent  for  support.  The term "health insurance
23    plan" does not include supplemental  benefits  that  are  not
24    part of the basic group health insurance plan. If the injured
25    employee  subsequently  dies,  the employer shall continue to
26    pay the entire health insurance  premium  for  the  surviving
27    spouse  until  remarried and for the dependent children under
28    the conditions established in this Section.  However:
29             (1)  Health  insurance  benefits  payable  from  any
30        other source shall reduce  benefits  payable  under  this
HB1347 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9003884JSgc
 1        Section.
 2             (2)  It  is  unlawful  for a person to willfully and
 3        knowingly make, or  cause  to  be  made,  or  to  assist,
 4        conspire  with,  or  urge another to make, or cause to be
 5        made,  any  false,  fraudulent,  or  misleading  oral  or
 6        written statement to obtain health insurance coverage  as
 7        provided under this Section.  A violation of this item is
 8        a Class A misdemeanor.
 9             (3)  Upon  conviction  for  a violation described in
10        item (2), a law enforcement, correctional or correctional
11        probation officer, or other beneficiary who  receives  or
12        seeks  to  receive  health  insurance benefits under this
13        Section  shall  forfeit  the  right  to  receive   health
14        insurance  benefits  and shall reimburse the employer for
15        all benefits paid due to the fraud  or  other  prohibited
16        activity.   For purposes of this item, "conviction" means
17        a determination of guilt that is the result of a plea  or
18        trial, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld.
19        (b)  In  order  for  the law enforcement, correctional or
20    correctional  probation  officer,  firefighter,  spouse,   or
21    dependent  children  to  be  eligible  for insurance coverage
22    under this Act, the injury or death must have occurred as the
23    result of  the  officer's  response  to  fresh  pursuit,  the
24    officer  or  firefighter's  response  to  what  is reasonably
25    believed to be an emergency, an unlawful act  perpetrated  by
26    another,  or  during  the  investigation  of  a criminal act.
27    Nothing in this Section shall be construed  to  limit  health
28    insurance coverage or pension benefits for which the officer,
29    firefighter,  spouse,  or dependent children may otherwise be
30    eligible.
31        Section  15.  Required  educational   benefits.    If   a
32    firefighter, law enforcement, or correctional or correctional
33    probation   officer   is   accidentally   or  unlawfully  and
HB1347 Engrossed            -3-                LRB9003884JSgc
 1    intentionally  killed  as  specified  in  subsection  (b)  of
 2    Section 5 on or after July 1, 1980,  the  State  shall  waive
 3    certain  educational  expenses which children of the deceased
 4    incur while obtaining a vocational-technical  certificate  or
 5    an  undergraduate education at a State supported institution.
 6    The amount waived by the State shall be an  amount  equal  to
 7    the  cost  of tuition and matriculation and registration fees
 8    for a total of 120 credit hours.   The  child  may  attend  a
 9    State   vocational-technical   school,   a  public  community
10    college, or a State university.  The child may attend any  or
11    all  of  the  institutions  specified  in this subsection, on
12    either a full-time or part-time basis.  The benefits provided
13    under subsection  shall  continue  to  the  child  until  the
14    child's 25th birthday.
15             (1)  Upon  failure  of  any  child  benefited by the
16        provisions of this Section to comply  with  the  ordinary
17        and  minimum  requirements  of  the institution attended,
18        both as to discipline and scholarship, the benefits shall
19        be withdrawn as to the child and no further moneys may be
20        expended for the child's benefits so long as the  failure
21        or delinquency continues.
22             (2)  Only  a  student in good standing in his or her
23        respective institution may  receive  the  benefits  under
24        this Section.
25             (3)  A  child  receiving benefits under this Section
26        must be enrolled according to  the  customary  rules  and
27        requirements of the institution attended.
28        Section  20.  Home  rule.   An employer, including a home
29    rule  unit,  that  employs  a  full-time   law   enforcement,
30    correctional    or   correctional   probation   officer,   or
31    firefighter may not provide benefits to persons covered under
32    this Act in a manner inconsistent with  the  requirements  of
33    this  Act.   This Act is a limitation under subsection (i) of
HB1347 Engrossed            -4-                LRB9003884JSgc
 1    Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on  the
 2    concurrent  exercise of powers and functions exercised by the
 3    State.
 4        Section 95.  The State Mandates Act is amended by  adding
 5    Section 8.21 as follows:
 6        (30 ILCS 805/8.21 new)
 7        Sec.  8.21.  Exempt  mandate.  Notwithstanding Sections 6
 8    and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is  required
 9    for  the  implementation  of  any  mandate  created  by  this
10    amendatory Act of 1997.
11        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
12    becoming law.

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