State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_HB1615

      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.    Restores  the  right  to  a  survivor's  benefit  to
      surviving spouses who remarried between January 1,  1992  and
      July  1,  1993.   Amends  the  State  Mandates Act to require
      implementation without reimbursement.  Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9003767EGfg
                                               LRB9003767EGfg
 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-                LRB9003767EGfg
 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.   A  surviving  spouse
 5    whose  pension  was  terminated due to the surviving spouse's
 6    remarriage on or after January 1, 1992  but  before  July  1,
 7    1993  and who applies for reinstatement of that pension shall
 8    be entitled to have the pension reinstated, beginning on  the
 9    first  day  of  the  month  following  the month in which the
10    application is received by the Fund.
11        The surviving spouse's pension shall be  subject  to  the
12    minimum established in Section 4-109.2.
13        (b)  Upon  the  death of the surviving spouse leaving one
14    or more minor children, to the  duly  appointed  guardian  of
15    each  such  child,  for  support and maintenance of each such
16    child until the child reaches age 18  or  marries,  whichever
17    occurs first, a monthly pension of 20% of the monthly salary.
18        (c)  If a deceased firefighter leaves no surviving spouse
19    or  unmarried  minor  children  under  age  18,  but leaves a
20    dependent father  or  mother,  to  each  dependent  parent  a
21    monthly pension of 18% of the monthly salary.  To qualify for
22    the  pension,  a  dependent  parent must furnish satisfactory
23    proof that the deceased firefighter was at the time of his or
24    her death the sole supporter of the parent or that the parent
25    was the deceased's dependent for federal income tax purposes.
26        (d)  The total pension provided under paragraphs (a), (b)
27    and (c) of this Section shall not exceed 75% of  the  monthly
28    salary  of  the  deceased  firefighter  (1)  when paid to the
29    survivor of a firefighter who has attained 20 or  more  years
30    of  service credit and who receives or is eligible to receive
31    a retirement pension under this Article, or (2) when paid  to
32    the survivor of a firefighter who dies as a result of illness
33    or   accident,  or  (3)  when  paid  to  the  survivor  of  a
34    firefighter who dies from any cause while  in  receipt  of  a
                            -3-                LRB9003767EGfg
 1    disability  pension  under  this Article, or (4) when paid to
 2    the  survivor  of  a  deferred  pensioner.   For  all   other
 3    survivors   of   deceased  firefighters,  the  total  pension
 4    provided under paragraphs (a), (b) and (c)  of  this  Section
 5    shall   not   exceed   50%  of  the  retirement  annuity  the
 6    firefighter would have received on the date of death.
 7        (e)  If a firefighter leaves no eligible survivors  under
 8    paragraphs  (a),  (b)  and (c), the board shall refund to the
 9    firefighter's estate the amount of  his  or  her  accumulated
10    contributions,  less  the amount of pension payments, if any,
11    made to the firefighter while living.
12        (f)  An  adopted  child  is  eligible  for  the   pension
13    provided  under paragraph (a) if the child was adopted before
14    the firefighter attained age 50.
15        (g)  If a judgment of dissolution of marriage  between  a
16    firefighter  and spouse is judicially set aside subsequent to
17    the firefighter's death, the surviving spouse is eligible for
18    the pension provided in paragraph (a) only  if  the  judicial
19    proceedings  are  filed  within 2 years after the date of the
20    dissolution  of  marriage  and  within  one  year  after  the
21    firefighter's death and the board is  made  a  party  to  the
22    proceedings.  In  such case the pension shall be payable only
23    from the date of the court's order setting aside the judgment
24    of dissolution of marriage.
25        (h)  Benefits payable on account of a  child  under  this
26    Section  shall  not be reduced or terminated by reason of the
27    child's attainment of age 18 if he or she is  then  dependent
28    by  reason  of  a  physical  or  mental  disability but shall
29    continue to be paid as long  as  such  dependency  continues.
30    Individuals  over  the  age  of 18 and adjudged as a disabled
31    person pursuant to Article XIa of the Probate  Act  of  1975,
32    except  for  persons  receiving benefits under Article III of
33    the Illinois Public Aid Code, shall be  eligible  to  receive
34    benefits under this Act.
                            -4-                LRB9003767EGfg
 1    (Source: P.A. 89-136, eff. 7-14-95; 89-168, eff. 7-19-95.)
 2        Section  90.  The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
 3    Section 8.21 as follows:
 4        (30 ILCS 805/8.21 new)
 5        Sec. 8.21. Exempt mandate.   Notwithstanding  Sections  6
 6    and  8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required
 7    for  the  implementation  of  any  mandate  created  by  this
 8    amendatory Act of 1997.
 9        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
10    becoming law.

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