(1) If any member of a fire or police department dies while a member of the fire or police department, and has had not less than five (5) years’ service with the department, there shall be paid from the firemen’s and policemen’s disability and relief fund benefits as follows:

(a) For each year’s active service, not to exceed a period of twenty (20) years, one-fortieth (¼) of the average monthly salary or compensation received by the member in the six-month period next preceding his or her death; and

(b) For each full year of active service in excess of twenty (20) years service, an additional payment in a sum equal to one and seven-tenths percent (1-7/1%) of the same average monthly base salary and longevity pay received by the member in the six-month period next preceding his or her death (provided that no such payment shall exceed sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the average monthly base salary and longevity pay received by a member for the six-month period next preceding his or her death) to the spouse of the deceased member for the use of the spouse and the child or children of the deceased member under the age of eighteen (18) years, so long as he or she remains unmarried, and if, after the marriage of the spouse, there remains a child or children of the deceased member still under the age of eighteen (18) years, the payments shall continue to be made to a parent or lawful custodian of the child or children without the necessity of appointment as guardian for the benefit of the child or children, so long as the child or children are under the age of eighteen (18) years. After the death or marriage of the spouse , all payments to the spouse shall cease, and after the death or attainment of the age of eighteen (18) years of any child or children of the deceased member, all payments to the child or children over eighteen (18) years of age shall cease. If the deceased member is not survived by spouse or child or children under the age of eighteen (18) years, but is survived by a father, mother or an unmarried sister dependent upon him or her, the payments shall continue to be made to the dependent father or mother or both, so long as each lives. If there is no dependent father or mother surviving the deceased member, the payments shall continue to be made to the dependent sister or sisters of the deceased member, or dependent incurable children of the deceased member, so long as the beneficiary or beneficiaries remain unmarried. Upon the death or marriage of any such sisters, all payments shall cease to her. The word “dependent” as used in this section shall mean “wholly dependent.”

(2) It is the intention of the Legislature that the benefits authorized by paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section, shall be paid to all qualified and eligible spouses whose deceased spouses died before March 27, 1978.