(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. (2) "Board" means the Board of County Commissioners of Cecil County. (3) "Program" means the Volunteer Length of Service Award Program. (b) In Cecil County, the Board may establish and fund a Volunteer Length of Service Award Program for qualified members of volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, and ambulance corps. (c) (1) The Board may adopt bylaws for the Program by resolution. (2) In the bylaws, the Board may: (i) define terms; (ii) establish eligibility requirements for certification procedures based on length of service, number of hours of service, amount of training, number of hours of training, prior service, or any other criteria considered relevant by the Board based on requirements and procedures recommended by the Cecil County Firemen's Association; (iii) establish appeals procedures for members who contest eligibility requirement determinations by the Board; (iv) establish a benefits schedule and determine eligibility requirements, including age and length of service requirements; (v) delegate record-keeping responsibilities of the Program to the Program administrative committee of the Cecil County Firemen's Association; (vi) delegate administration of the Program to the Cecil County treasurer, a committee or board, an insurer, a financial institution, or any other agency, group, or organization that the Board determines is competent to administer the Program; (vii) subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, establish disability, death, and survivor benefits for qualified individuals; (viii) establish any other requirements, criteria, or benefits considered by the Board to be in the best interest of Cecil County and the best interest of the volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, and ambulance corps; (ix) subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, allocate from the general revenue of Cecil County or from any other source, funds for the Program; and (x) establish any other provision for the administration of the Program. (3) A surviving spouse benefit is discontinued when the survivor remarries. (4) Funds for the Program allocated from the general revenue of Cecil County may not exceed: (i) $35,000 during the first year of the Program; (ii) $39,000 during the second year of the Program; (iii) $44,000 during the third year of the Program; (iv) $49,000 during the fourth year of the Program; (v) $55,000 during the fifth year of the Program; and (vi) an additional $10,000 for each additional year of the Program or whatever amount would make the Program actuarially sound by July 1, 2014. (d) To carry out this section, the Board shall adopt the following provisions as part of the Program: (1) a member who has certified credit volunteer service on or after January 1, 1979 or who discontinued active volunteer service before January 1, 1979 may receive credit for this service after being certified in accordance with this section to have performed 5 years of active volunteer service after January 1, 1979; (2) a member who has completed 25 years of certified volunteer service and is under the age of 60 years may be qualified and will be eligible for benefits when the member reaches the age of 60 years if the member is certified to the 25 years of qualified service before January 1, 1984; (3) after January 1, 1984, and on or before June 30, 2008, a member who accumulates the proper number of points needed to qualify and certify for 25 years of service and who fails to remain active or maintain membership in a volunteer fire company is not disqualified or otherwise restricted from receiving benefits at the age of 60 years; and (4) on or after July 1, 2008, a member who accumulates the proper number of points needed to qualify and certify for 25 years of service may receive benefits at the age of 55 years.
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