{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-95.624","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 95.624","heading":"Pensions in cities adopting alternative provisions of KRS 95.621 -- Service","body":"retirement -- Disability pensions -- Survivor's benefits -- Increase in benefits --\nHealth insurance for retirees.\n(1) In cities that have adopted the alternative pension fun d provisions authorized by\nKRS 95.621, any member of the police or fire department having served twenty\n(20) years or longer in the police or fire department may petition the board of\ntrustees for retirement; and if his petition is granted, the board may o rder paid to\nhim monthly fifty percent (50%) of his monthly salary at the time of retirement. If\nthis petition for retirement is denied, any policeman or firefighter has the right of\nappeal in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure.\n(2) The pension p ayable for periods of service between twenty (20) and twenty -five\n(25) years shall be fifty percent (50%) of salary plus two percent (2%) of salary for\neach year in excess of twenty (20). The pension payable for twenty -five (25) years\nof service shall be sixty percent (60%) of salary. The pension payable for periods of\nservice between twenty-five (25) and thirty (30) years shall be sixty percent (60%)\nof salary plus three percent (3%) of salary for each year in excess of twenty -five\n(25). The pension payabl e for thirty (30) years of service shall be seventy -five\npercent (75%) of salary.\n(3) The pensions or benefits paid for disability or death from the policemen's and\nfirefighters' pension fund created under KRS 95.622 shall be as follows:\n(a) If any member of the police and fire department becomes temporarily totally\ndisabled, physically or mentally, the board of trustees of the pension fund shall\norder paid to him monthly, during his disability, until he has recovered and\nreturned to active duty, a sum of n ot more than one -half (1/2) his salary per\nmonth, the amount to be determined by the board. This provision shall not\napply if a salary is paid during the same period.\n(b) If any member of the police or fire department becomes permanently disabled,\nphysically or mentally, so as to render necessary his retirement from service in\nthe department, the board of trustees shall retire him from service and order\npaid to him monthly fifty percent (50%) of his monthly salary at the time of\nhis retirement.\n(c) If any member of the police or fire department is killed or dies as the result of\nan injury received in the performance of duty, or dies of any disease\ncontracted by reason of his occupation, or dies while in the service from any\ncause as a result of his service in the department, or dies in service or while on\nthe retired list from any cause after one (1) year of service in the department\nand leaves a widow or a child under eighteen (18) years of age, the board of\ntrustees shall order a pension paid to the widow, while unmarried, of one-half\n(1/2) of salary per month and for each child until it reaches the age of eighteen\n(18) years, twenty -four dollars ($24) per month. The board may provide a\nminimum benefit of no more than four hundred dollars ($400) per month,\ninitially, to the surviving spouse if the benefit can be supported on an\nactuarially-sound basis by the fund. The board may increase the minimum\nbenefit pursuant to the terms of subsection (4) of this section. If the deceased\nmember was unmarried and childless, a pension shall be paid to his dependent\nfather and mother of one -fourth (1/4) of salary per month. If one (1) parent is\ndead, the other shall receive the entire one-fourth (1/4) salary.\n(4) In order to adjust retirement benefits to the purchasing pow er of the dollar, the\nboard shall if it is actuarially feasible annually order an increase in benefits paid\npursuant to this section. The board shall if it is actuarially feasible order an increase\nin benefits by an amount equal to the increase in the cost -of-living increase for a\nrecipient of Social Security, but the annual increase shall not exceed five percent\n(5%).\n(5) The board may provide a group hospital and medical insurance plan for retirees and\ntheir spouses who have not reached the age to qualify  for federal Medicare, if\nproviding insurance will not jeopardize the capacity of the board to pay retirement\nand survivor benefits. No insurance shall be provided for persons who are entitled\nto Medicare benefits or are receiving Medicare benefits, except  that supplemental\nhealth insurance may be provided to those retirees and their spouses who are\nentitled to Medicare benefits or are receiving Medicare benefits if providing the\nsupplemental health insurance will not jeopardize the capacity of the board to  pay\nother existing retirement and survivor benefits.","path":["KRS Chapter 95"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=43720","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:49:55Z","sha256":"56ce5ad198fdabf4a0d652ca32ba41515c549453931b4cc1e41f3fbaa89bc393","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-95.623","next":"us-ky/krs-95.625"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}