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SB 641 - This act revises the Survivor Grant Program to provide college grants, subject to appropriation, for children and spouses of state employees and public safety officers who are killed or permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty. The act also provides such grants to spouses and children of persons who are killed or permanently and totally disabled while performing an action which could be considered in the line of duty if performed by a public safety officer. Under current law, the program provides grants only to children of certain state employees and public safety officers when such parent is killed in the line of duty.

The act provides that any such state employee, public safety officer or other eligible person shall themselves be eligible for a Survivor Grant if the person is permanently and totally disabled.

A "permanent and total disability" is defined as one which renders a person unable to work and which is expected to result in death or to last for at least twelve months. "Line of duty" is defined as any action whose primary function is crime control, enforcement of criminal laws or suppression of fires, that is authorized by law or regulation.

If a person suffering from a permanent and total disability ceases to have such disability, a child shall no longer be eligible for grant money.

The bill is similar to SB 185 from 1997.

OTTO FAJEN