An Act relative to public safety employee death benefits

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by David Linsky

Expands killed-in-the-line-of-duty death benefits to include Department of Public Works employees, giving DPW families the same benefits as other public safety staff.

Overview

-HD 1624 is a proposed Massachusetts bill titled “An Act relative to public safety employee death benefits.”
-The core aim is to expand eligibility for killed-in-the-line-of-duty death benefits to include Department of Public Works (DPW) employees, in addition to existing public safety personnel (e.g., correction officers).
-The bill amends a provision in Chapter 32, Section 100A, and becomes effective upon passage.

Key Provisions

Amendment to Chapter 32, Section 100A: The bill inserts the term “Department of Public Works employee” after the words “correction officer” in Section 100A (as listed in the 2018 Official Edition).

Eligibility Expansion: By adding DPW employees to the list, those killed in the line of duty would be eligible for the same death benefits extended to other public safety personnel.

Effective Date: The act is designed to take effect immediately upon enactment (upon passage).

What Would Be Affected

Personnel: Department of Public Works employees who are killed in the line of duty would become eligible for public safety employee death benefits under the state program (previously limited to other specified public safety roles).

Beneficiaries/Families: Families and estates of DPW employees who die in the line of duty could receive the corresponding benefits, consistent with benefits for other public safety workers.

Public Employers: State and local (municipal) employers with DPW staff could see changes in the administration and eligibility determinations for death benefits.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Introduced/Filed: The bill context shows a date of 1/15/2025 for filing as House No. 2897 (HD 1624 in earlier docketing). The bill is listed as introduced on 11/29/2025 in your provided “Bill Information” section, indicating it is a proposed bill for the 2025-2026 session.

Status: Classified as a proposed bill; no enacted status provided in the materials.

Related Legislation: A similar matter was filed in a prior session (House No. 2585 of 2023-2024), indicating ongoing consideration of DPW inclusion.

Next Steps: As with all proposed bills, it would require passage by both chambers and acceptance by the Governor to become law.

Summary of Impact

The bill straightforwardly broadens the scope of the state’s killed-in-the-line-of-duty death benefits to cover Department of Public Works employees, aligning DPW with other public safety personnel in terms of eligibility.

The financial and administrative implications would depend on the current benefit structure and funding sources, which are not detailed in the text provided.

Bill