Bill > HB1348

This bill amends Arkansas laws related to survivor benefits for dependent children of members in the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System (APERS) and the State Police Retirement System. The key change is extending the age at which a child can receive survivor benefits from 18 to 23 years old. Specifically, a dependent child can now continue to receive survivor benefits until they reach 23 years of age, get married, or die, whichever occurs first. The previous law allowed extensions to age 18 for full-time students, but this bill removes those specific educational enrollment requirements while maintaining the new 23-year age limit. The bill also preserves the existing provision that allows benefits to continue for children who have been deemed physically or mentally incompetent by a court or the respective retirement system's Board of Trustees, for as long as the incompetency exists. An emergency clause is included, stating that the changes will take effect on July 1, 2025, to align with the fiscal year and allow proper administrative preparation for implementing the new benefit rules.

Labor and Employment

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1348&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R