Death Benefit for State Employee Surviving Spouse

Pursuant to the "Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado", if an employee dies, death benefits are paid to a dependent surviving spouse of the employee for life or until remarriage. The bill specifies that death benefits will be paid to a dependent surviving spouse of a deceased employee for life, regardless of remarriage, if the surviving spouse receives death benefits pursuant to current law, and the deceased employee was a state employee who worked in a job with a high-risk classification.

The bill specifies that a job with a "high-risk classification" includes certain employees of the Colorado state patrol, certain employees of the Colorado bureau of investigation, certain employees of the department of corrections, certain firefighters, investigators, or fire marshals employed by the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety, wildlife officers and parks and recreation officers employed by the division of wildlife in the department of natural resources, and employees of the department of transportation responsible for highway safety and maintenance.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)