An act relating to survivors benefits for law enforcement officers

This bill expands Vermont's existing survivors benefits program to include law enforcement officers. It amends Chapter 181 of state law to explicitly define "emergency personnel" to cover law enforcement officers, granting their survivors the same monetary benefits currently available to firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Survivors (spouses, children, or parents) of law enforcement officers who die "in the line of duty" or from an occupation-related illness may request benefits through the Emergency Personnel Survivors Benefit Review Board within 24 months of death. The bill does not change benefit amounts or eligibility criteria but extends existing protections to law enforcement officers.