19-18-605. Pensions to surviving spouses and children. (1) Each association shall pay, out of its disability and pension fund, a monthly pension to the surviving spouse or children of a deceased member of the association who on the date of death was an active member of the fire department in the city or town in which the association was formed, who had elected to retire from active service in the fire department and receive a service pension as provided for by 19-18-602, or who, prior to death, had suffered a sickness or injury and was receiving or was qualified to receive a disability pension as provided by 19-18-604. The pension must be equal to one-half of the last month's salary received as a monthly compensation, excluding overtime and payments in lieu of sick leave and annual leave, by the deceased member for services rendered as an active member of the fire department in the city or town in which the association was formed.

(2) If the deceased member completed 20 years of service and elected to serve additional years, the pension provided for in subsection (1) must be increased at the rate of 1% per year for each additional year of service completed, up to a maximum of 60% of the last month's salary received as a monthly compensation, excluding overtime and payments in lieu of sick leave and annual leave, by the deceased member for services as an active member of the fire department.

(3) The monthly pension paid to the surviving spouse or children of an active member or an active member who elects to retire must be at least one-half the regular monthly salary paid to a confirmed active firefighter of that city, as provided each year in the budget of that city. The monthly pension paid to the surviving spouse or children of an active member who died prior to July 1, 1974, or who elected to retire before July 1, 1974, must be at least $200. In the case of a volunteer firefighter, the pension paid to a surviving spouse or children may not exceed the amount provided for a service pension for a volunteer firefighter under 19-18-602(3).

(4) A pension may be paid to the surviving spouse only as long as the spouse remains unmarried. A surviving spouse is not entitled to a pension under this section if the marriage was entered into after the firefighter elected to retire from active service and began to receive a service pension as provided for by 19-18-602 or if the marriage was entered into after the firefighter qualified for and had begun to receive a disability pension as provided for by 19-18-604. The pension provided for in this section may not be paid to the children of deceased firefighters after they have attained 18 years of age.