131st MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 439 LR 113(01)
An Act to Allow Death by Suicide to Be Considered a Death While in the Line of Duty
Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement for Original Bill
Sponsor: Rep. Salisbury of Westbrook
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
             
Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement
Potential current biennium cost increase - Maine Budget Stabilization Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
Current law provides death benefit payments for law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel and corrections officers who die while in the line of duty. The death benefit is $100,000 indexed annually by the consumer price index. This bill allows consideration of whether any such individual who died by suicide has died while in the line of duty. As it cannot be predicted how many deaths by suicide may be determined to have occurred in the line of duty, no estimate of cost can be made. Funding for death benefits comes from the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund.