H-3971.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2708

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Clements, Delvin, McDonald, Kessler, O'Brien and Hurst

Read first time 01/18/2000.  Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

Providing life insurance for families of law enforcement officers and fire fighters killed in the line of duty.

    AN ACT Relating to life insurance for families of law enforcement officers and fire fighters killed in the line of duty; adding a new section to chapter 41.05 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 41.05 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The public employees' benefits board shall purchase up to ten life insurance policies with a face value of five hundred thousand dollars each, or one group policy covering up to ten persons with coverage of five hundred thousand dollars per person, on behalf of the state to provide benefits to the spouse and minor children of a state patrol officer, police officer, sheriff, or fire fighter, or a volunteer law enforcement officer or fire fighter, killed in the line of duty.  The board shall purchase the policies from an insurer authorized to sell life insurance policies in this state; if no such insurer will provide the life insurance policies under this section, the board shall purchase the policies through a surplus lines broker under chapter 48.15 RCW.

    (2) The board shall establish an advisory committee comprised of a representative of the Washington state patrol, a representative of city police officers, a representative of county sheriffs, and a representative of fire fighters.  The advisory committee shall assist the board in designing the specifics of the life insurance policies to  ensure a proper insurable interest, in defining the criteria under which the policies will apply, and providing other advice on the administration of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The sum of forty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2001, from the general fund to the health care authority for the public employees' benefits board to purchase life insurance policies under section 1 of this act.

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