Any present or future member of the State Police who shall become disabled due to any nonoccupational injury or disease, or who shall die while an active member of the State Police and after having served as an active member of the State Police for at least one third of the required number of years for regular pension, shall be eligible for a nonoccupational disability pension. When a member of the State Police shall desire to retire by reason of a nonoccupational injury or disease that causes the member to become disabled, the member shall make application in writing, and, in the case of death, the surviving spouse, minor children or dependent parent shall make application in writing to the Board of Pension Trustees for such pension. Whereupon, the Board of Pension Trustees shall call to its assistance the aid of a physician or surgeon representing the Board of Pension Trustees, and the member may also call to the member’s aid a physician or surgeon. The Board of Pension Trustees shall determine by resolution, passed by at least a majority of the members of the Board of Pension Trustees, whether such member is entitled to the benefits of this subchapter, and if so determined, such member shall be retired upon a pension equal to one half of the member’s salary at the time of retirement, and in the case of death, the following persons shall receive a pension equal to one half of the salary of the member in the following order of preference:

11 Del. C. 1953, § 8326; 52 Del. Laws, c. 128; 54 Del. Laws, c. 89, § 4; 57 Del. Laws, c. 741, § 41C; 58 Del. Laws, c. 332, § 6; 67 Del. Laws, c. 20, § 3; 69 Del. Laws, c. 154, §§ 3, 4; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 384, §§ 7, 8.