(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Comptroller Sean Scanlon, and the leadership of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Department of Transportation are applauding the Connecticut General Assembly for voting today to ratify an agreement reached between the Office of the Governor, the Office of the State Comptroller, and the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) that makes the surviving families of state employees who are killed in the line of duty eligible to receive enhanced survivor benefits, regardless of whether that state employee was eligible to receive a pension at the time of their death.
The legislation was inspired by the tragic line-of-duty deaths last year of two Connecticut state employees, including a trooper from the Connecticut State Police and an employee from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Because of their ages and years of service, neither of those state employees were eligible to receive pensions at the time of their deaths. The change ratified by the legislature today means that both surviving families in those instances will begin receiving survivor benefits, based on their individual eligibility circumstances. Additionally, this change will apply to all future situations in which a state employee who was not eligible to receive a pension is killed in the line of duty.
Governor Lamont, Comptroller Scanlon, Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins, Connecticut State Police Colonel Daniel Loughman, and Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto worked with legislative leaders to advocate for a solution that would make surviving families in these situations eligible for these benefits.
“Many state employees have job responsibilities that often put their lives at risk, and the state must be there for their families whenever we may be faced with an unfortunate tragedy,” Governor Lamont said. “With the change approved today, these families can now begin receiving survivor benefits. I appreciate lawmakers from both sides of the aisle for working with our administration on this solution to the state’s pension rules.”
“Every day, thousands of state employees go to work and, in some cases, put themselves in harm’s way on behalf of all of us,” Comptroller Scanlon said. “As a state, we have a profound responsibility to support our employees and their families – especially in the tragic event of a line-of-duty death. I’m honored to have worked with Governor Lamont and labor leaders to close this loophole and ensure that the families of employees who pay the ultimate sacrifice while serving our state receive the benefits they deserve and are entitled to.”
“State employees do the jobs that make Connecticut a safer place to live and work. They patrol the highways, work along dangerous roadways, and perform numerous hazardous duties to ensure our well being,” Commissioner Higgins said. “At DESPP, we are deeply appreciative of this agreement and the message that it sends to Connecticut and all state employees. Thank you, Governor Lamont and everyone who worked hard to make this a reality.”
“This agreement serves as a symbol of our deep gratitude and respect for the employees of the State of Connecticut,” Colonel Loughman said. “In recognition of the ultimate sacrifice made by a Connecticut State Trooper, this commitment to providing financial security for his family is a top priority. I would like to thank Governor Lamont and his team for their swift action that has made this a reality.”
“Our workers are often in harm’s way maintaining and improving our state’s transportation infrastructure, with 39 CTDOT employees killed in the line of duty since our agency’s founding,” Commissioner Eucalitto said. “While nothing we do can bring our colleagues back, this legislation is an important step forward that recognizes the dangers our roadside workers face. Thank you to Governor Lamont and the General Assembly for supporting and approving this important legislation.”
“We would like to recognize and thank Governor Lamont, Comptroller Sean Scanlon, the legislature, Undersecretary David Krayeski, and Attorney Dan Livingston for their leadership and commitment to ensuring that the surviving children, spouses, and families are cared for in the absences of those who gave their lives protecting the State of Connecticut,” Connecticut State Police Union President Todd Fedigan said. “Our troopers appreciate that we are valued by the state’s leadership and can rest assured that if they are killed in the line of duty, their families will be supported and able to focus on making sure the trauma of such loss is minimized for those left behind.”
The Senate approved the agreement by a vote of 34 to 0 (Senate Resolution 10), and the House of Representatives approved it by a vote of 143 to 0 (House Resolution 12).
In addition to this reform, the state recently established the Fallen Officer Fund, which provides financial assistance to the families of local and state police officers who are killed in the line of duty or who sustained injuries that are the cause of an officer’s death.
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