Connecticut SB 443: AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF SURVIVOR'S BENEFITS AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE TO FAMILY MEMBERS OF CORRECTION OFFICERS, COURT SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION INVESTIGATORS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION INVESTIGATORS AND OFFICE OF THE CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER INVESTIGATORS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 443
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2678

Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC
EMPLOYEES

Introduced by:
(LAB)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF SURVIVOR'S BENEFITS
AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE TO FAMILY MEMBERS OF
CORRECTION OFFICERS, COURT SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION
INVESTIGATORS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION INVESTIGATORS
AND OFFICE OF THE CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER INVESTIGATORS
KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Dependent child" means a child, whether by blood or adoption, 2
of a correction officer or investigator, who (A) is under the age of 3
twenty-two and was dependent on the earnings of such officer or 4
investigator at the time of such officer's or investigator's death, provided 5
a child shall not be considered dependent if such child provides more 6
than half of such child's own support, is married or is legally adopted 7
by another person, or (B) is any age and is physically or mentally 8
incapacitated and was dependent on the earnings of such officer or 9
investigator at the time of such officer's or investigator's death. 10
(2) "Killed in the line of duty" means the death of a correction officer 11

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or investigator while engaged in the performance of such officer's or 12
investigator's duties, resulting from an incident, an accident or violence 13
that caused such death or caused injuries that were the direct or 14
proximate cause of such officer's or investigator's death, including any 15
death that is determined to be occupationally related by a workers' 16
compensation insurance carrier, an employer to whom a certificate of 17
self-insurance has been issued pursuant to section 31-248 of the general 18
statutes or an administrative law judge for workers' compensation 19
purposes under chapter 568 of the general statutes. "Killed in the line of 20
duty" does not include the death of an officer or investigator whose 21
death results from such officer's or investigator's own wanton or wilful 22
act. 23
(3) "Correction officer" means an individual employed by the 24
Department of Correction as a correction officer. 25
(4) "Investigator" means an individual employed as an investigator 26
by (A) the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Department, 27
(B) the Division of Criminal Justice, or (C) the Office of the Chief Public 28
Defender. 29
(5) "Surviving family member" means any person who is a surviving 30
spouse, surviving dependent child, surviving child who is not a 31
dependent child or surviving parent of a correction officer or an 32
investigator killed in the line of duty, or a surviving individual listed on 33
such officer's or investigator's most recent beneficiary form on file with 34
such officer's or investigator's employing state agency. 35
(b) There is established a fund to be known as the "Fallen Officer and 36
Investigator Fund". The fund may contain any moneys required by law 37
to be deposited in the fund and shall be held by the Treasurer separate 38
and apart from all other moneys, funds and accounts. The interest 39
derived from the investment of the fund shall be credited to the fund. 40
Amounts in the fund may be expended by the Comptroller for purposes 41
of payments pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Any balance 42
remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried 43

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forward in the fund for the fiscal year next succeeding. 44
(c) (1) After receiving notice, in a form and manner as determined by 45
the Comptroller, from an individual who is a member of the surviving 46
family or an investigator who was killed in the line of duty, the 47
Comptroller shall pay, within available appropriations, a lump sum 48
death benefit totaling one hundred thousand dollars from the fund 49
established in subsection (b) of this section to such surviving family, 50
provided the surviving family of a correction officer or an investigator 51
killed in the line of duty shall not receive more than one such lump sum 52
death benefit. Payments shall be made to surviving families in the order 53
in which notices are received until the amount in such fund is depleted. 54
(2) Any payment made pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection 55
shall be in addition to any other benefits for which individuals of such 56
officer's or investigator's surviving family are eligible and such 57
payments shall not be reduced or offset due to any other benefits, 58
including, but not limited to, workers' compensation or other survivor 59
benefits. 60
(d) Not later than July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the 61
Comptroller shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of 62
section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of 63
the General Assembly havi