{"data":{"id":"us-co/c.r.s.-8-42-120","jurisdiction":"us-co","citation":"C.R.S. § 8-42-120","heading":"Termination of right to benefits - definition.","body":"(1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (1)(b) of this section, death benefits shall be paid to a dependent widow or widower for life or until remarriage, and, if there are no dependent children, as defined in section 8-41-501 (1)(b) and (1)(c), at the time of remarriage, a two-year lump-sum benefit without discount, less any lump sums previously paid, shall be paid to such widow or widower.\n\n(b) (I) Death benefits shall be paid to a dependent widow or widower for life if:\n\n(A) The dependent widow or widower receives a death benefit pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section; and\n\n(B) The deceased was a state employee who worked in a job with a high-risk classification.\n\n(II) As used in this subsection (1)(b), unless the context otherwise requires, \"job with a high-risk classification\" means:\n\n(A) An employee of the Colorado state patrol who is vested with the powers of a peace officer as provided in section 24-33.5-212 or is a port of entry officer as described in section 16-2.5-115;\n\n(B) An employee of the Colorado bureau of investigation who is vested with the powers of a peace officer as provided in section 24-33.5-409;\n\n(C) An employee of the department of corrections who is classified in the corrections officer I through corrections officer IV class titles;\n\n(D) An employee of the department of corrections who is a community parole officer as described in section 16-2.5-136;\n\n(E) An employee of the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety who is classified as a firefighter, investigator, or fire marshal;\n\n(F) An employee of the division of parks and wildlife in the department of natural resources who is a wildlife officer as defined in section 16-2.5-116 (1) or a parks and recreation officer as defined in section 16-2.5-117 (1);\n\n(G) An employee of the department of transportation who is responsible for highway safety and maintenance;\n\n(H) An employee of the department of revenue who is vested with the powers of a peace officer as provided in sections 16-2.5-121 to 16-2.5-126; or\n\n(I) An employee of a state institution of higher education who is vested with the powers of a peace officer as provided in section 16-2.5-148.\n\n(2) Death benefits shall terminate upon the happening of any of the following contingencies and shall thereupon survive to the remaining dependents, if any: Upon the death of any dependent; when a child or brother or sister of the deceased reaches the age of eighteen years, except as otherwise provided in sections 8-41-501 (1)(b) and (1)(c) and 8-41-502; and upon the expiration of six years from the date of the death of the injured employee in the case of partial dependents.","path":["Title 8 - LABOR AND INDUSTRY","Article 42 - Benefits"],"source_url":"https://olls.info/crs/crs2026-title-08.htm","current_through":"Colorado Revised Statutes 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:37:45Z","sha256":"52a44862725d44ac5e6efe8bef0d930caadf28f3120559bccc68ef253158d3c4","source_id":"us-co","stale":false,"prev":"us-co/c.r.s.-8-42-119","next":"us-co/c.r.s.-8-42-121"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}