Effective 28 Aug 2015

86.263. Service-connected accidental disability retirement for active service members, requirements — periodic examinations required, when — cessation of benefits, when. — 1. Any member in active service who is permanently unable to perform the full and unrestricted duties of a police officer as the natural, proximate, and exclusive result of an accident occurring within the actual performance of duty at some definite time and place, through no negligence on the member's part, shall be retired by the board of trustees of the police retirement system upon certification by the medical board that the member is mentally or physically unable to perform the full and unrestricted duties of a police officer, that the inability is permanent or likely to become permanent, and that the member should be retired. The inability to perform the "full and unrestricted duties of a police officer" means the member is unable to perform all the essential job functions for the position of police officer as established by the chief of police.

2. No member shall be approved for retirement under the provisions of subsection 1 of this section unless the application was made and submitted by the chief of police or a member no later than five years following the date of accident, provided, that if the accident was reported within five years of the date of the accident and an examination made of the member within thirty days of the date of accident by a health care provider whose services were provided through the chief of police with subsequent examinations made as requested, then an application made more than five years following the date of the accident shall be considered timely.

3. Once each year during the first five years following a member's retirement, and at least once in every three-year period thereafter, the board of trustees may require any disability beneficiary who has not yet attained sixty years of age to undergo a medical examination or medical examinations at a place designated by the medical board or such physicians as the medical board appoints. If any disability beneficiary who has not attained sixty years of age refuses to submit to a medical examination, his or her disability pension may be discontinued by the board of trustees of the police retirement system until his or her withdrawal of such refusal, and if his or her refusal continues for one year, all rights in and to such pension may be revoked by the board of trustees.

4. If the medical board certifies to the board of trustees that a disability beneficiary is able to perform the duties of a police officer, then such beneficiary's disability pension shall cease.

5. If upon cessation of a disability pension under subsection 4 of this section, the former disability beneficiary is restored to active service, he or she shall again become a member, and he or she shall contribute thereafter at the same rate as other members. Upon his or her subsequent retirement, he or she shall be credited with all of his or her active service time as a member including the service time prior to receiving disability retirement, but not including any time during which the former disability beneficiary received a disability pension under this section.

6. If upon cessation of a disability pension under subsection 4 of this section, the former disability beneficiary is not restored to active service, such former disability beneficiary shall be entitled to the retirement benefit to which such former disability beneficiary would have been entitled if such former disability beneficiary had terminated service for any reason other than dishonesty or being convicted of a felony at the time of such cessation of such former disability beneficiary's disability pension. For purposes of such retirement benefits, such former disability beneficiary shall be credited with all of the former disability beneficiary's active service time as a member, but not including any time during which the former disability beneficiary received a disability beneficiary pension under this section.

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(L. 1957 p. 256 § 20, A.L. 1969 p. 152, A.L. 2000 H.B. 1808, A.L. 2001 S.B. 290, A.L. 2009 H.B. 397 & H.B. 947, A.L. 2013 H.B. 116 merged with H.B. 336 merged with H.B. 722, A.L. 2015 H.B. 515)

(1975) Term "accident" held to mean a single identifiable event, not a series of mishaps over an extended period of time. Chapman v. Sanders (A.), 528 S.W.2d 462.