1. Effective May 1, 2002, upon the receipt of evidence and proof that the death of a member was the result of an accident or exposure at any time or place, provided that at such time or place the member was in the actual performance of the member’s duty and, in the case of an exposure, while in response to an emergency call, or was acting pursuant to orders, there shall be paid in lieu of all other benefits the following benefits:

(1) A retirement allowance to the widow during the person‘s widowhood of seventy percent of the pay then provided by law for the highest step in the range of salary for the next title or next rank above the member’s range or title held at the time of the member’s death, plus ten percent of such compensation to or for the benefit of each unmarried dependent child of the deceased member, who is either under the age of eighteen, or who is totally and permanently mentally or physically disabled and incapacitated, regardless of age, but not in excess of a total of three children, including both classes, and paid as the board of trustees in its discretion directs;

(2) If no widow benefits are payable pursuant to subdivision (1), such total allowance as would have been paid had there been a widow shall be divided among the unmarried dependent children under the age of eighteen and such unmarried children, regardless of age, who are totally and permanently mentally or physically disabled and incapacitated, and paid to or for the benefit of such children as the board of trustees in its discretion shall direct;

(3) If there is no widow, or child under the age of eighteen years, or child, regardless of age, who is totally and permanently mentally or physically disabled and incapacitated, then an amount equal to the widow’s benefit shall be paid to the member’s dependent father or dependent mother, as the board of trustees shall direct, to continue until remarriage or death;

(4) Any benefit payable to, or for the benefit of, a child or children under the age of eighteen years pursuant to subdivisions (1) and (2) of this section shall be paid beyond the age of eighteen years through the age of twenty-five years in such cases where the child is a full-time student at a regularly accredited college, business school, nursing school, school for technical or vocational training or university, but such benefit shall cease whenever the child ceases to be a student. A college or university shall be deemed to be regularly accredited which maintains membership in good standing in a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by any state college or university.

2. No benefits pursuant to this section shall be paid to a child over eighteen years of age who is totally and permanently mentally or physically disabled and incapacitated, if such child is a patient or ward in a public-supported institution.

3. Wherever any dependent child designated by the board of trustees to receive benefits pursuant to this section is in the care of the widow of the deceased member, the child’s benefits may be paid to the widow for the child.