Sen. Passes Bill to Continue Death Benefits after Remarriage

The New Jersey state Senate has passed a bill that will provide surviving spouses of firefighters and police officers who die in the line of duty with lifetime workers' compensation benefits, regardless of whether they remarry.The Senate voted 35-0 on Thursday to approve Senate Bill 1469 by Fred H. Madden Jr., D-Washington, and Stephen M. Sweeney, D-Pennsauken. That vote sends the bill over to the state Assembly.Under current law, surviving spouses of deceased members of the State Police or local police officers or firefighters receive a lump-sum payment equal to 100 times the weekly benef...