Bill > S3104

This bill authorizes the city of New Bedford to qualify city employees for certain death benefits when the cause of death is related to COVID-19. Specifically, it establishes a presumption that if a city employee who was regularly attending work (not working remotely) died between March 20, 2020 and May 24, 2022, and the cause of death was determined by the city's retirement board to be related to the employee having COVID-19, then the death shall be presumed to be a death caused by the employee's duties, entitling the employee's beneficiary to an accidental death benefit. However, this presumption does not apply to employees who died after October 4, 2021 and were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless the retirement board determines the employee had a valid medical or religious reason for not being vaccinated. The bill also provides that the surviving spouse of an employee entitled to the accidental death benefit shall receive a yearly pension equal to the maximum salary set for the position, rather than the standard survivor's pension.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S3104