95.550 Benefits for disability or death from pension fund established under KRS 95.520 -- Beneficiaries -- Amounts. (1) The pensions or benefits paid for disability or death from the policemen's and firefighters' pension fund established under KRS 95.520 shall be as follows: (a) If any member of the police or fire department becomes temporarily totally disabled, physically or mentally, while in the performance of duty and by reason of service in the department, the board of trustees of the pension fund shall order paid to him monthly, during his disability but not longer than one (1) year, a sum of not more than sixty dollars ($60) per month, the amount to be determined by the board. This provision shall not apply if a salary is paid during the same period. Provided, however, that the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply unless the disabled firefighter or policeman has served from one (1) day to ten (10) years consecutively in his department, such period of service to be fixed by the board of trustees; (b) If any member of the police or fire department becomes permanently disabled, physically or mentally, while in the performance of duty and by reason of service in the department, so as to render necessary his retirement from service in the department, the board of trustees shall retire him from service and order paid to him monthly fifty percent (50%) of his monthly salary at the time of his retirement. Provided, however, that the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply unless the disabled firefighter or policeman has served from one (1) day to ten (10) years consecutively in his department, such period of service to be fixed by the board; and (c) If any member of the police or fire department is killed or dies as the result of an injury received in the performance of duty, or dies of any disease contracted by reason of his occupation, or dies while in the service from any cause as a result of his service in the department, or dies in service or while on the retired list from any cause after fifteen (15) consecutive years of service in the department, and leaves a widow, widower, or a child under eighteen (18) years of age, the board of trustees shall order a pension paid to the widow, widower, or child. There shall be paid monthly to the widow or widower, while unmarried, a pension of not less than thirty dollars ($30), or not more than fifty percent (50%) of the deceased's monthly salary at the time of retirement or death and for each child until it reaches the age of eighteen (18) years, not less than six dollars ($6) or not more than ten percent (10%) of the deceased's monthly salary, such amount to be determined by the board of trustees. The board may provide a minimum benefit of no more than four hundred dollars ($400) per month, initially, to the surviving spouse if the benefit can be supported on an actuarially-sound basis by the pension fund. The board may increase the minimum benefit pursuant to the provisions of KRS 95.560. If the deceased member was unmarried and childless, a pension shall be paid to his dependent father and mother of not less than thirty dollars ($30) or not more than twenty percent (20%) of the deceased's monthly salary. If one (1) parent is dead, the other shall receive the entire amount, and if both are living, each shall receive one-half (1/2) the amount, such amount to be determined by the board of trustees. (2) No person shall receive a pension from the policemen's and firefighters' pension fund except as provided in this section. Effective: January 1, 2015 History: Amended 2014 Ky. Acts ch. 92, sec. 124, effective January 1, 2015. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 50, sec. 4, effective July 15, 1994. -- Amended 1978 Ky. Acts ch. 164, sec. 25, effective June 17, 1978. -- Amended 1976 Ky. Acts ch. 117, sec. 1. -- Amended 1956 Ky. Acts ch. 31, sec. 1, effective May 18, 1956. -- Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. secs. 3142b-4, 3142b-5, 3142b-9, 3142b-13, 3351a-4, 3351a-5, 3351a-9, 3351a-13.
