More than $5 million going to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety per Legislative appropriation.
In 2022 the Mississippi legislature passed House Bill 779 which was then signed into law by Governor Tate Reeves. The bill allocates $5 million from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund to support the families of first responders who died as a result of COVID-19 while serving in Mississippi communities.
The legislation would ensure that families of those service men and women receive full state benefits that are given to other families of first responders who die in the line of duty. A claim for these benefits must be submitted by the head of the agency with whom the first responder was employed at the time that they contracted COVID-19.
If a first responder family member was lost due to COVID-19 and would like to have a claim submitted, the family must contact the head of the agency for whom the family member worked immediately. These claims need to be submitted no later than June 10, 2022, to be processed and paid this fiscal year, ending June 30, 2022. Otherwise, processing and payment of your claim may be delayed.
For more information, go to www.dps.ms.gov/public-safety-planning/standards-andtraining/Death-Benefits-Trust. At this link you can also download the applications and other required paperwork.
Sarah Ulmer
