LIFE INSURANCE FOR POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS

(2) “Police officer” includes police chiefs and police officers of a city who are classified as police officers by the council or other governing body of the city; sheriffs and those deputy sheriffs whose duties, as classified by the county governing body are the regular duties of police officers; employees of districts, whose duties, as classified by the governing body of the district are the regular duties of police officers; employees of the Department of State Police who are classified as police officers by the Superintendent of State Police; employees of the Oregon State Lottery Commission classified by the Director of the Oregon State Lottery as enforcement agents; and employees of Department of Corrections institutions as defined in ORS 421.005 whose duties, as assigned by the superintendent, include the custody of persons committed to the custody of or transferred to the Department of Corrections institution; but “police officer” does not include volunteer or reserve police officers or persons considered by the respective governing bodies to be civil deputies or clerical personnel.

(3) “Public employer” means a city, a county or the state, or one of its agencies or political subdivisions that employs police officers or firefighters. [1971 c.692 s.6; 1985 c.302 s.11; 1987 c.320 s.149; 1991 c.67 s.61]

243.015 Life insurance for police and firefighters. The Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall enter into a contract with an insurance company licensed to do business in this state to purchase insurance as described in ORS 243.025 for all police officers and firefighters in the service of public employers. [1971 c.692 s.7; 1973 c.409 s.1; 1991 c.67 s.62]

243.025 Issuance of $10,000 life insurance certificate. When the Oregon Department of Administrative Services has awarded the contract under ORS 243.015, every police officer and firefighter in the service of a public employer shall be issued, pursuant to the contract provided for in ORS 243.015, a certificate of insurance in the face amount of $10,000, covering death caused by injury sustained during working hours as a police officer or firefighter or death resulting from such an injury within 365 days. The insurance certificate shall set forth the names of any beneficiaries whom the insured may designate. [1971 c.692 s.8; 1973 c.409 s.2; 1991 c.67 s.63]

243.035 Premiums and administrative costs to be budgeted and paid by public employers. (1) The premiums and administrative costs incurred by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services for the insurance provided for in ORS 243.005 to 243.045 shall be paid by the affected public employers and shall not come from funds of the Public Employees Retirement System.

(2) Every public employer shall include in its budget amounts sufficient to pay the annual premiums accruing on the policies of insurance issued pursuant to ORS 243.005 to 243.045, and amounts sufficient to reimburse the Oregon Department of Administrative Services for its administrative expenses incurred under ORS 243.005 to 243.045. [Subsection (1) enacted as 1971 c.692 s.9; subsection (2) enacted as 1971 c.692 s.10]

243.045 Police and firefighters considered common group for certain purposes. For purposes of the Insurance Code, police officers and firefighters are considered to be associated in a common group formed for purposes other than the obtaining of insurance. [1971 c.692 s.11; 1973 c.409 s.3; 1991 c.67 s.64]

243.055 Exemption from requirements of ORS 243.005 to 243.045 for certain public employers. (1) Notwithstanding ORS 243.005 to 243.045, if a public employer provides benefits equal to or better than the insurance required under ORS 243.025, as determined by the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, the public employer is exempt from the requirements of ORS 243.005 to 243.045 for so long as such benefits continue to be equal or better than the insurance required, as determined by the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services.