Connecticut § 5-144 - Death benefits for state employees, state officers and members of General Assembly.

§ 5-144. Death benefits for state employees, state officers and members of General Assembly.

Sec. 5-144. Death benefits for state employees, state officers and members of General Assembly. If any state employee, state officer or member of the General Assembly serving with compensation or remuneration sustains an injury while acting within the scope of his employment, which injury is not the result of his own wilful or wanton act, and dies as a result of such injury, and a spouse and a dependent child or children under eighteen years of age survive him, the Comptroller, upon the recommendation of the appointing authority, and with the approval of the Attorney General, shall draw his order on the Treasurer for the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, payable in equal monthly installments over a period of not less than ten years to such employee's or officer's or member's spouse, provided any such payments shall terminate on the death or remarriage of such spouse within said ten-year period, and the Comptroller, upon the recommendation of the appointing authority and with the approval of the Attorney General, shall also draw an order on the Treasurer for monthly payments of fifty dollars for each dependent child under eighteen years of age, payable to such spouse or the guardian of such child or children until such child or children reach eighteen years of age. If such employee or officer or member leaves a spouse and no child or children under eighteen years of age, the Comptroller, upon the recommendation of the appointing authority and with the approval of the Attorney General, shall draw an order on the Treasurer for the sum of fifty thousand dollars payable in equal monthly installments over a period of not less than ten years, to such spouse, provided any such payments shall terminate on the death or remarriage of such spouse within such ten-year period. If such employee or officer or member leaves no spouse and no child or children under eighteen years of age but leaves a parent or parents dependent upon him, the Comptroller, upon recommendation of the appointing authority and with the approval of the Attorney General, shall draw an order on the Treasurer for the sum of fifty thousand dollars, payable to such employee's or officer's or member's parent or parents in equal monthly installments over a period of not less than ten years, provided, on the death of one such parent, the surviving parent shall continue to receive the entire monthly payments under the provisions of this section and provided such payments shall cease on the death of both such parents during such ten-year period. As used in this section and section 5-145, the appointing authority for members of the General Assembly shall be the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives. The appointing authority for state officers shall be the Governor.

(1949 Rev., S. 421; 1953, 1955, S. 186d; November, 1955, S. N5; 1957, P.A., 122; February, 1965, P.A. 466; P.A. 98-263, S. 8, 21; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2, S. 7, 72.)

History: 1965 act deleted requirement that parents be “solely” dependent on employees in order to be eligible to receive benefits; P.A. 98-263 expanded persons eligible for benefits to include survivors of state officers or members of the General Assembly, designated appointing authority for such officers or members and increased benefits payable to surviving spouse, dependent children and dependent parents over ten-year rather than five-year period, effective July 1, 1998, and applicable to any death occurring on or after January 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2 added coverage for specified victims of homicide employed by a nonprofit organization contracting with the state and made technical changes, effective October 1, 1999, until October 1, 2000.

See Sec. 5-149 re cases where death benefits are not payable.

Covers injury involving heart attack only when it occurs within period of employment and when in some way it is causally connected to performance of duties of employment. 175 C. 424.