§2036. Disability, retirement, and death benefits

           Pensions and benefits shall be as follows:

           A. If a volunteer fireman, while in active service, is found by the board to be temporarily, totally disabled, mentally or physically, by reason of his service, he shall receive monthly from the fund during such disability (but not to exceed one year) a sum not less than twenty-five dollars per month.

           B. If, while in active service, a volunteer fireman is found by the board to be permanently, totally disabled, mentally or physically, by reason of his service, he shall receive monthly from the fund during such disability a sum not less than twenty-five dollars.

           C. If a volunteer fireman while in active service is found by the board to be temporarily or permanently partially disabled mentally or physically, by reason of his service, he shall receive monthly from the fund during the existence of the disability an amount fixed by the board, but not more than twenty-five dollars per month.

           D. If a paid fireman, while in active service, is found by the board to be totally, permanently physically or mentally disabled for service in the department and unable to perform work of any reasonable kind by reason of service in the department he shall receive monthly from the fund, so long as the disability continues, fifty percent of his monthly salary at the time he became disabled until he becomes eligible for retirement on service basis.

           E. If a paid fireman is found by the board to be totally, permanently, physically or mentally, disabled for service therein, but physically and mentally capable and able to do work of any other reasonable kind, he shall receive monthly so long as the disability continues, from the fund, except as hereinafter provided, thirty-five percent of his monthly salary at the time the disability occurred.

           F. If a paid fireman is found by the board to be disabled for service in the department while in the active service of the department for causes not arising or developing directly from his employment in the department, he shall be paid monthly, so long as the disability continues, twenty percent of his monthly salary at the time he became disabled.

           G.(1) Any paid fireman employed for the first time on or after July 31, 1940, who serves in the department for a period of twenty-five years shall, upon making written application to the board requesting it, be retired from service in the department and be paid monthly fifty percent of his average monthly salary for the six years next preceding his date of retirement.

           (2)(a) Any volunteer fireman and volunteer emergency medical service technician who serves in a volunteer fire department may receive a pension for prior years of service, as provided in this Paragraph.

           (b) The governing authority of each parish and municipality may establish and implement a length of service award program for any retired volunteer fireman and volunteer emergency medical service technician to provide a service pension to those persons eligible. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the local governing authority may contribute such funds as may be necessary to fund the program. Members of the established program may also contribute such funds to support the program.

           (c) If any governing authority elects to establish such program, the program shall be subject to the following provisions:

           (i) If any governing authority elects to contribute funds to the program, then the minimum contribution shall equal ten cents for each dollar contributed by the employee in his first through fifth years of service; fifteen cents for each dollar contributed by the employee in his sixth through tenth years of service; twenty cents for each dollar contributed by the employee in his eleventh through fifteenth years of service; and twenty-five cents for each dollar contributed by the employee in his sixteenth and later years of service.

           (ii) In any event, the length of service award program shall not distribute any employee or employer contribution to the employee before he attains the age of sixty, unless such distribution is due to disability, death, or other bona fide hardship suffered by the employee.

           (iii) All employee and employer contributions made into the length of service award program fund shall be maintained in a separate account on behalf of each employee. One hundred percent of the funds in each account shall be immediately vested to the employee upon attainment of ten years of creditable service.

           H. If a volunteer or paid fireman, while in the service of the department or while eligible for or receiving benefits from the fund, dies from disabilities by reason of his services, leaving a widow surviving, the board shall direct the payment of twenty-five dollars per month from the fund to the widow, during the remainder of her life, while she remains unmarried. If the fireman leaves no wife but a child or children, each child shall receive his proportionate share of twenty-five dollars per month. These benefits are payable so long as a child is totally incapacitated, or until the child reaches the age of eighteen years or marries.

           I. Benefits shall be paid to the legal representatives of children during their minority unless otherwise directed by the board.

           J. In the event a paid or volunteer fireman dies for the causes stated in this Section while eligible for or receiving benefits from the fund, and leaves a father or mother or both directly dependent upon him for support and maintenance, the board may grant and pay the father or mother or both such portion of the pension which would be payable to the deceased member were he the direct beneficiary, but not to exceed twenty-five dollars per month.

           Acts 1992, No. 657, §1.