{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/51.1-815.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/51.1-815.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/51.1-815.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/51.1-815.html"}],"law_id":54787,"edition_id":1,"section_id":54787,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-815","catch_line":"Counties, cities, and towns authorized to provide relief to surviving spouse and children","history":"1940, p. 738; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 3035h; Code 1950, \u00a7 51-119; 1976, c. 772, \u00a7 51-122.2; 1990, c. 832.","full_text":"Any county, city, or town may provide for the relief of any children and surviving spouse of any law-enforcement officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff who dies while in the service of the county, city, or town. If any policeman loses his life while in the discharge of official duties, there shall be paid to the surviving spouse until death, or remarriage, a pension of not less than one-half of the policeman’s salary at the time of death. The relief provided shall be exclusive of any payment out of the general fund of the state treasury pursuant to \u00a7 9.1-400 et seq.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":201067,"text":"Any county, city, or town may provide for the relief of any children and surviving spouse of any law-enforcement officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff who dies while in the service of the county, city, or town. If any policeman loses his life while in the discharge of official duties, there shall be paid to the surviving spouse until death, or remarriage, a pension of not less than one-half of the policeman’s salary at the time of death. The relief provided shall be exclusive of any payment out of the general fund of the state treasury pursuant to \u00a7 9.1-400 et seq.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13778,"edition_id":1,"name":"Members of Police Departments","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13777,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:51","permalink":{"id":236315,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13778,"identifier":"2","token":"51.1\/8\/2","url":"\/51.1\/8\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13777,"edition_id":1,"name":"Local Retirement Systems","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12947,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:51","permalink":{"id":236279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13777,"identifier":"8","token":"51.1\/8","url":"\/51.1\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12947,"edition_id":1,"name":"Pensions, Benefits, and Retirement","identifier":"51.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":235029,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12947,"identifier":"51.1","token":"51.1","url":"\/51.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":60791,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-807","catch_line":"Police officers' pension and retirement boards","url":"\/51.1-807\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-807","metadata":false},{"id":59828,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-808","catch_line":"Powers, authority, and duties of board","url":"\/51.1-808\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-808","metadata":false},{"id":62514,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-809","catch_line":"Treasurer of board","url":"\/51.1-809\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-809","metadata":false},{"id":74784,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-810","catch_line":"Time credited to service record","url":"\/51.1-810\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-810","metadata":false},{"id":67069,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-811","catch_line":"Eligibility for retirement; retirement allowance","url":"\/51.1-811\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-811","metadata":false},{"id":65143,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-812","catch_line":"Disability from natural causes not originating in performance of official duties","url":"\/51.1-812\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-812","metadata":false},{"id":56937,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-813","catch_line":"Disability resulting from activities in discharge of official duties","url":"\/51.1-813\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-813","metadata":false},{"id":67556,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-814","catch_line":"Employing such presumption in determining eligibility for benefits","url":"\/51.1-814\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-814","metadata":false},{"id":54787,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-815","catch_line":"Counties, cities, and towns authorized to provide relief to surviving spouse and children","url":"\/51.1-815\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-815","metadata":false},{"id":58463,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-816","catch_line":"Reduction of pension and benefits where income earned during disability retirement","url":"\/51.1-816\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-816","metadata":false},{"id":68836,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-817","catch_line":"Salary deductions payable to estate or refunded","url":"\/51.1-817\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-817","metadata":false},{"id":71933,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-818","catch_line":"Funds for payment of pensions and benefits","url":"\/51.1-818\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-818","metadata":false},{"id":64554,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-819","catch_line":"Adoption of article optional by counties, cities, and towns; appeal","url":"\/51.1-819\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-819","metadata":false},{"id":70330,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-820","catch_line":"Police officers' pensions and retirements","url":"\/51.1-820\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-820","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":67556,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-814","catch_line":"Employing such presumption in determining eligibility for benefits","url":"\/51.1-814\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-814","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":58463,"structure_id":13778,"section_number":"51.1-816","catch_line":"Reduction of pension and benefits where income earned during disability retirement","url":"\/51.1-816\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-816","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/51.1-815\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1976, chapter 772; in 1990, chapter 832.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":54405,"section_number":"9.1-400","catch_line":"Title of chapter; definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-400\/"}],"permalink":{"id":236349,"object_type":"law","relational_id":54787,"identifier":"51.1-815","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-815","url":"\/51.1-815\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/51.1-815\/","token":"51.1\/8\/2\/51.1-815","dublin_core":{"Title":"Counties, cities, and towns authorized to provide relief to surviving spouse and children","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 51.1-815","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any county, city, or town may provide for the relief of any children and surviving spouse of any law<\/span>-enforcement officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff who dies while in the service of the county, city, or town. If any policeman loses his life while in the discharge of official duties, there shall be paid to the surviving spouse until death, or remarriage, a pension of not less than one-half of the policeman’s salary at the time of death. The relief provided shall be exclusive of any payment out of the general fund of the state treasury pursuant to \u00a7 9.1-400<\/a> et seq.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCOUNTIES, CITIES, AND TOWNS AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO SURVIVING SPOUSE AND\nCHILDREN (\u00a7 51.1-815)\n\nAny county, city, or town may provide for the relief of any children and\nsurviving spouse of any law-enforcement officer, sheriff, or deputy sheriff who\ndies while in the service of the county, city, or town. If any policeman loses\nhis life while in the discharge of official duties, there shall be paid to the\nsurviving spouse until death, or remarriage, a pension of not less than one-half\nof the policeman’s salary at the time of death. The relief provided shall\nbe exclusive of any payment out of the general fund of the state treasury\npursuant to \u00a7 9.1-400 et seq.\n\nHISTORY: 1940, p. 738; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 3035h; Code 1950, \u00a7 51-119; 1976,\nc. 772, \u00a7 51-122.2; 1990, c. 832.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}