SB 860 — Relating to payment of funeral expenses for first responders

CS for SB 860 WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedCommittee FISCALSubstitute for Senate Bill 860 NOTE By Senator Morris [Introduced[Reported February 9,20, 2026;2026, from the Committee on the Military] CS for SB 860 A BILL to amend and reenact §15-11-1 and §15-11-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to payment of funeral expenses for certain law-enforcement, safety, and emergency workers;

referredand tospecifying that payment of funeral expenses may be made when a worker dies as a proximate result of the Committeeperformance onof Military;his or her official duties.

and then to the Committee on Finance] Intr SB 860 2026R3699 A BILL to amend and reenact §15-11-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to payment of funeral expenses;

and modifying the language to make it consistent with the code for survivor’s benefit payment for first responders for purposes of payment for funeral expenses of law enforcement, safety, and emergency workers.

§15-11-1.

Law-enforcement, safety, and emergency worker funeral expense fund created.

There is created within the State Treasury a special fund known as the "law-enforcement, safety, and emergency worker funeral expense payment fund", into which there shall be deposited such moneys as from time to time may be appropriated by the Legislature or received from other sources as may be donated or otherwise provided for the fund.

The fund shall be administered by the secretary of military affairs and public safety Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for the sole purpose of effecting the provisions of this article.

(a) The Secretary of Military Affairs and Public Safety the Department of Homeland Security shall, upon written request, direct payment from the fund created by §15-11-1 of this code in the form of a draft as provided in this article up to and including an amount not exceeding $8,000 for the reasonable funeral expenses, including burial expenses, of a law-enforcement, safety, or emergency worker killed who dies on or after January 1, 19991999, 2026, while carrying out 2026, as a proximate result of the performance of his or her official duties:

Provided, however, That where other funds for funeral expenses are provided pursuant to the laws of this state, from whatever source, which amount to less than $8,000, funds provided by the provisions of this section shall be expended so 1 CS for SB 860 as to ensure that at least $8,000 is available for reasonable funeral expenses.

The secretary shall direct payment of the funeral expenses upon written request of an employer or head of a volunteer organization, as is appropriate pursuant to this article, certifying that the individual for whom funeral expenses are requested was killed died while performing died as a proximate result of the performance of his or her official duties.

Intr SB 860 2026R3699 (b) The secretary shall supply the draft in the name of the person contracting for the funeral services and, if known, the service provider to the employer or agency head making the request who shall tender the draft to the person who contracted for the services.

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