A.  This Section shall apply to any sworn commissioned law enforcement officer of the office of state police of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state systems occurred on or before December 31, 2010.  On and after January 1, 1973, the surviving spouse of any such sworn, commissioned law enforcement officer of the office of state police whose death occurs other than in the line of duty, but who at the time of death was a member of the system and had less than twenty years of service credit with the department, shall be pensioned at twenty-five percent of his average salary if the officer, at the time of death, had under five years of service credit, thirty percent of his average salary if he had five years but under ten years of service credit, forty percent of his average salary if he had ten years but under fifteen years of service credit, and fifty percent of his average salary if he had fifteen years but under twenty years of service credit.  On and after September 9, 1977, if the employee had twenty years of service or more, the surviving spouse shall receive a pension equal to the retirement benefit the employee would have received had the employee elected to retire at the time of his death.

B.  If there is no surviving spouse, the minor children shall be pensioned as provided in La. Rev. Stat. 11:1317.

C.  Dependent parents shall be pensioned as provided under La. Rev. Stat. 11:1319.

D.  Provided, however, that said pension shall be paid only so long as they are eligible under the provisions of this Title.

Amended by Acts 1958, No. 19, §1; Acts 1973, No. 137, §1; Acts 1977, No. 375, §1; Acts 1981, No. 272, §1; Redesignated from La. Rev. Stat. 40:1434 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 2010, No. 992, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011.