Bill Supporting Families of Fallen Police Officers Signed by Governor

A Connecticut fund providing non-taxable benefits to the surviving family members of police officers killed in the line of duty was codified into law this week by a bill passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor.

The legislation, Senate Bill 341, cleared both chambers of the General Assembly on unanimous votes during the session that concluded last week.

The Fallen Officer Fund was created by Comptroller Sean Scanlon’s office and provides a one-time lump sum benefit of $100,000 to the surviving family or beneficiaries of police officers who are killed in the line of duty or die from injuries sustained on the job.

“As the son and brother of police officers, I know the risks our officers take every day to keep our communities safe,” Scanlon said in a press release.

Codifying the program in statute allows the state to continue funding the initiative in the future. Additionally, the bill includes a provision which enables a fallen officer’s surviving family members to retain their health insurance coverage under the officer’s policy for up to five years.

“Our local and state police officers put their lives on the line every day while protecting our communities, and they should know that this fund is there to provide their families with some support should the unthinkable happen,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “We need to always remember that the families of police officers are consistently making many sacrifices over the course of their loved one’s commitment to protecting and serving our communities.”

Posted by Hugh McQuaid