(a) When a municipal employee who is vested in a municipal retirement system under the Arkansas Local Police and Fire Retirement System, § 24-10-101 et seq., or under a local policemen's pension and relief fund, § 24-11-401 et seq., or under a firemen's relief and pension fund, § 24-11-801 et seq., is killed or dies in the course of his or her employment and is survived by a spouse, or has surviving dependents actively drawing a benefit from those municipal retirement systems, then the surviving spouse or surviving dependents may continue to participate in the municipality's healthcare plan as long as the surviving spouse or surviving dependents pay both employer and employee contributions to the healthcare plan.
(b) However, a surviving spouse or surviving dependent may qualify to continue on the healthcare plan only so long as they remain an eligible beneficiary under the retirement system.