Alabama § 45-57A-62.24 - Benefits; Pension Paid to Beneficiaries.

§ 45-57A-62.24. Benefits; Pension Paid to Beneficiaries.

(a) No pension or other benefits, except for disability incurred in line of duty, shall commence or be payable under this part prior to the first day of October 1948. And under no circumstances shall any beneficiary be paid a pension or other benefit of more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per month; no retired firefighter or policeman shall be paid a pension or other benefit of more than one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) per month if he or she has contributed to the fund for less than five years, or more than one hundred fifty dollars ($150) a month if he or she has contributed to the fund for five years and less than 10 years, or more than one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175) per month if he or she has contributed to the fund for 10 years and less than 15 years, or more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per month if he or she has contributed to the fund for 15 years or more; and under no circumstances shall the surviving spouse or children, or both, or widowed mother of a deceased firefighter or policeman be paid a pension or other benefit in excess of two hundred dollars ($200) per month.

(b) All pensions and all benefits heretofore directed to be paid by the board shall be continued and shall be paid from the fund and by the board under this part. All such benefits directed to be paid by the board shall not be changed by this part but shall continue in force and shall continue to be calculated and paid according to the schedule of payments prescribed in this part.

(c) If any firefighter or policeman be discharged, or for any other reason leaves the employment of the police department or the fire department before he or she becomes entitled to any of the retirement benefits provided for in this part, he or she shall forfeit all rights to all benefits under the part but shall be paid by the board any money, without interest, that may have been paid into the fund by him or her by deduction from salary, less one-half of any sick benefits which have been paid to him or her from the fund. If any policeman or firefighter is killed or dies, his or her death not resulting from action while in line of duty, and he or she does not have 10 years service so as to entitle his or her surviving spouse or minor children to a pension or allowance under the other provisions of this part, the surviving spouse, or the legal guardian of the minor children shall be paid by the board any monies, without interest, that may have been paid into the fund or into any fund which preceded the fund by means of deductions from the salary of the policeman or firefighter at any time, less one-half of any sick benefits which have been paid in from the fund.