Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 1173 amends provisions relating to administration of, membership in, and benefits of a firefighters' relief and retirement fund in certain municipalities. The act requires the municipality to allow employees who are members of the fund's board of trustees to attend all meetings, educational workshops, and legislative hearings consistent with their duties. The act requires the trustees to notify the municipality of their required attendance, prohibits the municipality from reducing or withholding wages for such attendance, and authorizes the fund's board to reimburse the municipality for costs incurred for allowing the trustees' attendance. The act authorizes the board to purchase a life insurance policy to cover lump-sum death benefits that may become payable to a member's eligible survivor or estate and authorizes the fund to pay for meetings to communicate benefits information to retired members, their spouses, and eligible survivors.

            House Bill 1173 extends from five to seven years the maximum period of participation in a deferred retirement option plan (DROP) during which payroll deductions may be credited to a member's DROP account and requires the board to pay an annual supplemental benefit to certain retired members and eligible survivors and an additional $4,000 lump-sum retirement or death benefit under certain circumstances. The act specifies that the presumption that certain conditions have caused an on-duty disability may be rebutted only by clear and convincing evidence and requires that an actuary make certain determinations relating to the effect of certain benefit increases on the fund's ability to pay existing benefits and that the State Pension Review Board approve such a determination before the benefits may be increased.