HARRY HUGHES, Governor                                    3529

EACH FULL YEAR OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE IN EXCESS OF 25 YEARS.
BEGINNING JULY 1, 1984, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, THIS AMOUNT
SHALL BE INCREASED OR DECREASED BY AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE ANNUAL
INCREASE OR DECREASE AS REFLECTED BY THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX,
USING THE PUBLISHED MAY FIGURE EACH YEAR. THIS AMOUNT SHALL NOT
EXCEED 4 PERCENT INCREASE OR DECREASE PER YEAR AND SHALL BE
CUMULATIVE.

(D)  IN THE EVENT THAT ANY ACTIVE VOLUNTEER BECOMES DISABLED
DURING THE COURSE OF HIS OR HER SERVICE AS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN OR
RESCUE SQUADMAN WHILE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN PROVIDING SUCH SERVICES
AND IN THE EVENT THAT THE DISABILITY PREVENTS THE VOLUNTEER FROM
PURSUING HIS NORMAL OCCUPATION AND THAT THE DISABILITY IS OF A
PERMANENT NATURE AS CERTIFIED BY THE MARYLAND WORKMEN'S
COMPENSATION COMMISSION OR OTHER COMPETENT MEDICAL AUTHORITY AS
DESIGNATED BY THE BOARD OF FIRE AND RESCUE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
THEN THE VOLUNTEER IS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THE BENEFITS PRESCRIBED
IN SUBSECTION (B) AND ANY SUCH BENEFITS AS HE MAY BE ENTITLED TO
REGARDLESS OF HIS OR HER AGE OR LENGTH OF SERVICE. THESE
BENEFITS SHALL BEGIN ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH
FOLLOWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PERMANENCY OF HIS OR HER
DISABILITY.

(E)  IN THE EVENT THAT ANY QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER SHALL DIE
WHILE RECEIVING BENEFITS, THEN HIS OR HER SURVIVING SPOUSE IS
ENTITLED TO BENEFITS EQUAL TO 50 PERCENT OF THE VOLUNTEER'S
BENEFITS. THESE BENEFITS SHALL TERMINATE UPON DEATH OR
REMARRIAGE OF THE SPOUSE.

(F)  IN THE EVENT THAT A QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER DIES PRIOR TO
RECEIVING ANY BENEFITS UNDER THIS SECTION, HIS OR HER SURVIVING
SPOUSE IS ENTITLED TO BENEFITS EQUAL TO 50 PERCENT OF THE
BENEFITS EARNED BY THE DECEASED VOLUNTEER. THESE BENEFITS SHALL
TERMINATE UPON DEATH OR REMARRIAGE. A QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER IS
DEFINED AS ONE WHO HAS COMPLETED 25 YEARS OF CERTIFIED SERVICE.

(G)  WHEN A QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER DIES, A DEATH BENEFIT OF
$2,500 SHALL BE PAID TO THE VOLUNTEER'S DESIGNATED BENEFICIARY.

(H) IN THE EVENT THAT ANY ACTIVE VOLUNTEER FIREMAN OR
SQUADMAN (HEREIN DEFINED AS ONE WHO HAS AT LEAST 2 YEARS OF
QUALIFYING SERVICE IN THE 5 PRECEDING YEARS) ATTAINS THE AGE OF
70 AND FAILS TO ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED 25 YEARS OF SERVICE, THEN
THE VOLUNTEER IS ENTITLED TO A MONTHLY BENEFIT OF THE NUMBER OF
YEARS OF CERTIFIED SERVICE COMPLETED MULTIPLIED BY $4. THESE
BENEFITS SHALL BE PAYABLE IN THE NORMAL MANNER.

130B.

(A) (1) COMMENCING JULY 1, 1984 AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, A
COST OF LIVING REVIEW SHALL BE MADE BY THE BOARD OF FIRE AND
RESCUE COMMISSION COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO ADJUST THE BENEFITS
PROVIDED UNDER SUBSECTIONS (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), AND (H) OF §
130A. THE ADJUSTMENT SHALL INCREASE OR DECREASE THE BENEFITS
ACCORDING TO AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE ANNUAL INCREASE OR DECREASE