§ 45-21.1-1. Benefits. (a) Whenever, under any general law or special act, any town or city has established a pension system for the fire fighters of the town or city, funded in whole or in part by contributions from those fire fighters, then upon the death of a fire fighter, whether before or after his or her retirement, there is due from the fire fighter's pension fund of the town or city to the person or persons as he or she has nominated by written designation, and, if no designation was made, to the widow or widower or domestic partner of the fire fighter, if any, an amount equal to the total contributions made to the pension fund by the deceased fire fighter less any benefits received by the fire fighter from the fund. If there is no designation and no widow or widower or domestic partner surviving the fire fighter, payments under the provisions of this section are paid to the estate of the deceased fire fighter in an amount equal to the total contributions made to the pension fund by the deceased fire fighter less any benefits received by the fire fighter from the fund; provided, that if the amount due to the estate of a deceased fire fighter under the provisions of this section is one thousand dollars ($1,000) or less, then, in lieu of making the payment due under the provisions of this section to the estate, the payment may be made to the widow or widower or domestic partner (for his or her sole use) of the deceased fire fighter; and provided, further, that this section does not apply in the case of any pension fund which provides benefits for the dependents or survivors of a deceased fire fighter.

(b) The term "domestic partner" shall have the same meaning as that provided for in § 45-21-2.

History of Section. (P.L. 1964, ch. 178, § 1; P.L. 1970, ch. 125, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 84, § 103; P.L. 2007, ch. 510, § 17.)