Wisconsin Lawmaker Says Fallen Officer Bill Gaining Support

RACINE, WI — A bill before Wisconsin lawmakers that would provide health insurance benefits to the families of fallen police officers is gaining support in the State Capitol after Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) announced his support for the bill this week.

"No family whose loved one paid the ultimate sacrifice should have to worry about their own health insurance,” Vos said in a statement. “It’s a benefit that the state gives to families of fallen fire fighters; it’s time we extend it to law enforcement who serve and protect our communities.”

Under the proposed legislation, a city, village, town, or county would pay health insurance premiums for the surviving spouse and children of a law enforcement officer who dies in the line of duty so long as the governing body paid premiums for the law enforcement officer while he or she was employed.

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Wisconsin has been hit hard by officer deaths so far in 2019, and in June, an officer in Racine and another in Milwaukee lost their lives on the same day.

Support for the legislation is high among local officials.

“We are asking the Wisconsin Legislature to support those who give the ultimate sacrifice to keep our communities safe and our loved ones secure.” Sean Marschke, Sturtevant police chief and president of the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association said in a statement to the Journal Times in Racine.

The requirement does not apply to a surviving spouse who remarries, or reaches the age of 65, or to a surviving child after he or she reaches the age of 26, according to the text of the bill.

Current law provides similar benefits to the surviving spouse and dependent children of a fire fighter who dies, or has died, in the line of duty if the municipality paid premiums for the fire fighter while he or she was employed.

Vos said he has been working on an amendment with the bill's author Rep. John Spiros (R-Marshfield) to ensure the legislation also covers the Wisconsin State Patrol. The amendment also changes how insurance costs would be funded: under the amendment, the state would reimburse local governments’ costs through shared revenue.

Vos also said his amendment would be applied retroactively to cover incidents that occurred on or after January 1, 2019.

The bipartisan bill was introduced last month and is awaiting committee action.