On the Petition, referred on January 26, 2022, Docket #0186, for a Special Law re: An Act Providing Certain Retirement Benefits for the Widow of a Former Firefighter of the City of Boston, the Committee submitted a petition ought to pass in a new draft.
Mr. Couric, please read. 201860186 petition for a special law relative to an act providing certain retirement benefits for the widow of a former firefighter of the city of Boston. Thank you. The chair recognizes counsel. Royal Chair of the Committee on Government Operations. Counselor Arroyo, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. This docket was sponsored by myself and referred to the committee on January 26, 2022. The committee held a hearing on February 15, 2022, and I want to thank my council colleagues who attended that hearing. Counselors Murphy. Counselor Edwards. Counselor Lui. Gen. Counselor Flynn. Counsel. President Flynn. Counselor. Well. And Counselor. I also want to thank Mr. O'Reilly from the Boston Firefighters Local 718 and Maria Rodriguez for their attendance and participation. Docket number 10186 would authorize the Boston Retirement Board to pay a line of duty death benefit to Maria Rodriguez, the widow of Leroy Rodriguez. Lieutenant Leroy Rodriguez was a former Boston firefighter who died as a result of injuries sustained while responding to a fire as part of the Rapid Intervention Team. Under this proposal, the benefits will be paid and administered pursuant to Section 100 of Chapter 32 of the General Laws. The proposal outlines the amount of the benefit and provides that surviving children shall be eligible for original appointment to the Boston Fire Department and considered survivors under Section 26 of Chapter 31 of the General Laws. The line of duty benefit will be paid to Maria Rodriguez and an annual amount of pension equal to the amount of salary salary which would have been paid to fire Lieutenant Leroy Rodriguez had he continued in service of the Boston firefighter. This docket is a refile from last year. Lieutenant Leroy Rodriguez died of a heart attack during surgery to repair an injury to his Achilles tendon, which he received while responding to a fire incident. Heroically after receiving that injury. He actually proceeded at the station coming down the pole. He actually proceeded to fight a fire in Mattapan with the torn Achilles tendon until about 6 a.m. in the morning when he was relieved receiving surgery for his injury. He died of a heart attack on the operating table. Following his death, Maria Rodriguez applied for and received Section nine death benefits known as accidental death benefits, which only allow for a 72% annual rate of compensation. Due to the confusing nature of applying for benefits and the grief that Ms.. Rodriguez was under at the time. She mistakenly applied for Section nine benefits, but is now requesting Section one Section 100 death benefits known as Death in the Line of Duty Benefits. The committee discussed the difference between Section nine benefits and Section 100 benefits and inquired about the process for applying for the benefits. Section 100 benefits would raise the compensation rate to 100% and provide survivor benefits. The committee discussed the special circumstances of this case. Leroy Rodriguez died during surgery for an injury which occurred immediately in the in the line of duty. And after sustaining the injuries and performing his essential duties of a firefighter, if not for sustaining that injury, Leroy Rodriguez would not have been at that surgery or on that surgery table. Miss Rodriguez discussed the impact that her husband's death had on her family. She also explained that she was unaware at the time of the different types of benefits and discussed the difficulty in dealing with the administrative process. There is just one small formatting amendment to this docket. The title of the petition is being changed from Retirement Benefits to Death Benefits, as follows I petition for a special law regarding an act providing certain death benefits for the widow of former firefighter of the city of Boston. This will maintain consistency with the text of the legislation. This is an extraordinary case. It will not shift all Section nine death benefits to Section 100 benefits. But in this particular case, the circumstances for this case allow for the Section 100 benefits specific to this incident. Passage of this docket will allow the surviving spouse and children to receive the appropriate and full benefits that they deserve. Among those benefits, Leroy Rodriguez Jr is seeking to follow in his father's footsteps as a firefighter. This would, as one of the death benefits, allow for him to be on the priority list to become a firefighter like his father. As chair of the Committee on Government Operations, I recommend that this docket ought to pass in a new draft. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Councilor Arroyo, the chair of the Committee on Government Operations, seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 0186 in a new draft. All those in favor say aye. I oppose nay. The ayes have it. Mr. Kirk, please do a roll call vote. Roll Call vote on docket 0186 Council Arroyo. Yes. Council Arroyo Yes. Council A Baker Council A Baker Yes. Council Council the yes. Council. Brighton Council. Brighton Yes. Council. Edwards Councilor Edwards yes Council. Fernandes Anderson Council. Fernandes. Hands and yes Council. Clarity. Yes. Council Clarity. Yes. Council. Flynn. Yes. Council. Flynn. Yes. Council. Council. Ah. Yes. Council. Louisiana Council. Yes. Council. Let me hear. Council. Let me hear. Yes. Councilor Murphy. Councilor Murphy. Yes. Council. World Council of Warrell. Yes. Unanimous vote. Thank you. Docket 0186 passed in a new draft amended draft. Motions, orders and resolutions. Mr. Clarke, please read your code. 02900290 Council of Flynn and Council on Me here offered the following order for a hearing to discuss ways for the city to increase communications access for people with disability to public facing televisions.