Mississippi § 21-29-255 - Death benefits.

§ 21-29-255. Death benefits.

[For any municipality that has elected to authorize the continuation or reinstatement of spouse retirement benefits under the provisions of Section 21-29-329, this section shall read as follows:] If any member of the fire or police department dies in active service, or dies in inactive service on account of disability approved for disability relief under Section 21-29-241, as a result of injury received while in the discharge of duty in the service of the fire department or police department, or dies as a result of sickness or disease, due to the discharge of duty while in service as a member of the fire or police department, or if the member dies while entitled to relief after retirement under Section 21-29-245, the amount of disability relief or retirement relief being paid, or which should have been properly paid, shall continue to be paid from the fund to the spouse of the deceased member for life for the use of the spouse and the child or children of the deceased member. If the deceased member is not survived by a spouse, but there remains a child or children of the deceased member, the payments shall continue to be made to a parent or lawful custodian of the child or children without the necessity of appointment as guardian for the benefit of the child or children. After the death of the spouse, all payments to the spouse shall cease, and after the death of any child or children of the deceased member, all payments to the child or children shall cease. If the deceased member is not survived by a spouse or child or children, but is survived by a father or a mother dependent upon him or her, the payments shall continue to be made to the dependent father or mother, or both, so long as each lives, or if there is no dependent father or mother surviving the deceased member, the payments shall continue to be made to the unmarried dependent sister or sisters of the deceased member, so long as the beneficiary or beneficiaries remain unmarried. Upon the death or marriage of any such sister, all payments shall cease to her. Payments to dependents under this section are for services rendered to the members of the fire and/or police department, and the amount of payments is within the discretion of the board of disability and relief, but in no event shall the amount payable under this section be in excess of the amount that would have been payable as disability and relief to a member of the department. If any member of the fire or police department dies while a member of the fire department or police department, and the member has had not less than five (5) years’ service with the department, there shall be paid from the firemen’s and policemen’s disability and relief fund the following benefits: For each year’s active service, not to exceed a period of twenty (20) years, one-fortieth (1/40) of the average monthly salary or compensation received by the member in the six-month period next preceding his or her death; and For each full year of active service in excess of twenty (20) years service, an additional payment in a sum equal to one and seven-tenths percent (1-7/10%) of the same average monthly base salary and longevity pay received by the member in the six-month period next preceding his or her death (provided that no such payment shall exceed sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the average monthly base salary and longevity pay received by a member for the six-month period next preceding his or her death) to the spouse of the deceased member for the use of the spouse and the child or children of the deceased member, so long as the spouse lives and if, after the death of the spouse, there remains a child or children of the deceased member, the payments shall continue to be made to a parent or lawful custodian of the child or children without the necessity of appointment as guardian for the benefit of the child or children. After the death of the spouse, all payments to the spouse shall cease, and after the death of any child or children of the deceased member, all payments to the child or children shall cease. If the deceased member is not survived by spouse or child or children, but is survived by a father, mother or an unmarried sister dependent upon him or her, the payments shall continue to be made to the dependent father or mother or both, so long as each lives, or if there is no dependent father or mother surviving the deceased member, the payments shall continue to be made to the dependent sister or sisters of the deceased, or dependent incurable children, so long as the beneficiary or beneficiaries remains unmarried. Upon the death or marriage of any such sisters, all payments shall cease to her. For the purposes of this section: “Dependent” means wholly dependent. “Child” or “children” means: Children of the deceased member under the age of eighteen (18); Children of the deceased member eighteen (18) years of age or older who have not yet reached their twenty-third birthday and are pursuing a full-time education; or Children of the deceased member who, though eighteen (18) years of age or older, are wholly dependent upon the deceased and incapable of self-support by reason of mental or physical disability.