Line of Duty Deaths & Survivor Benefits
This legislation was inspired by the tragic line-of-duty deaths last year of two Connecticut state employees, including a trooper from the Connecticut State Police and an employee from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Because of their ages and years of service, neither of those state employees were eligible to receive pensions at the time of their deaths. The change ratified by the legislature today means that both surviving families in those instances will begin receiving survivor benefits, based on their individual eligibility circumstances.
Additionally, this change will apply to all future situations in which a state employee who was not eligible to receive a pension is killed in the line of duty.