(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) of this section, upon the death of a retired fire department member or a volunteer firefighter who, regardless of age, has served the requisite number of years for retirement under section 31-301122 and who leaves a surviving spouse, the board may pay an annuity of not more than fifty percent of the current pension payment for a retired fire department member if the fund is actuarially sound. If the volunteer firefighter had less than twenty years of active service, the annuity to the surviving spouse shall be prorated based upon the number of years of service.
This annuity to the surviving spouse shall cease if the surviving spouse remarries.Dissolution of a subsequent marriage does not reinstate the annuity. A surviving spouse shall not receive both an annuity under section 31-30-1127 and an annuity under this section.
The benefits under this section do not apply if the optional survivor benefits undersection 31-30-1128 are provided.
The benefits under this section may be increased in the same manner as postretirement benefit increases as provided in section 31-30-1122 (3), subject to the state contribution limit set forth in section 31-30-1112 (2).
Source: L. 95: Entire part added, p. 1376, § 2, effective June 5. L. 98: (4) added, p. 809, § 5, effective May 26. L. 2002: (4) amended, p. 506, § 2, effective July 1.