SECTION 73.
Chapter 32B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 9C the following section:-
Section 9C1/2. Upon the death of a call, volunteer, intermittent, part-time or reserve firefighter, emergency medical services provider or police officer who, while in the performance of duties and as a result of an incident, accident or violence, is killed or sustains injuries which are the direct and proximate cause of death, the surviving spouse and dependents, including children under the age of 26, may continue to participate in group hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance until the remarriage or death of the surviving spouse. Application for such insurance shall be filed with the appropriate public authority and a method for the payment of premiums shall be determined in accordance with its rules and regulations. The surviving spouse shall also file in the office of the city auditor, town accountant or officer having similar duties, a copy of the marriage certificate of the surviving spouse. The municipality shall charge the surviving spouse 100 per cent of the premium for such hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance.
This section shall take effect in a city, town or district upon its acceptance in the following manner: in a city having a Plan D or Plan E charter, by a majority vote of its city council; in any other city, by a vote of the city council and approval by the mayor; in a district, by a vote of the registered voters of the district at a district meeting; and in a town, by a vote of the registered voters at a town meeting.