(a) In the case of one or more totally dependent children, as defined in Section 3501, after payment of the amount specified in Section 4702, and notwithstanding the maximum limitations specified in Sections 4702 and 4703, payment of death benefits shall continue until the youngest child attains 18 years of age, or until the death of a child physically or mentally incapacitated from earning, in the same manner and amount as temporary total disability indemnity would have been paid to the employee, except that no payment shall be made at a weekly rate of less than two hundred twenty-four dollars ($224).
(b) (1) Notwithstanding the age limitation in subdivision (a), the payment of death benefits shall continue until the youngest child attains 19 years of age if the child is still attending high school and is receiving the death benefits as a child of an active member of a sheriff’s office, an active member of a police or fire department of a city, county, city and county, district, or other public or municipal corporation or political subdivision, an individual described in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code who is primarily engaged in active law enforcement activities, active firefighting member of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or an active member of any county forestry or firefighting department or unit killed in the performance of duty.
(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to a child of a person whose principal duties are clerical or otherwise do not clearly fall within the scope of active law enforcement or active firefighting services, such as stenographers, telephone operators, and other office workers.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 786, Sec. 2. (AB 607) Effective January 1, 2014.)