Section 21540.

The special death benefit is also payable if the deceased was the Secretary of the Youth and Adult Corrections Agency, or was a state member appointed by the Secretary of the Youth and Adult Corrections Agency, the Department of the Youth Authority, the Superintendent of the California Institution for Women, or the Women's Board of Terms and Paroles, the Board of Corrections, or was a member of the Board of Corrections or the Department of the Youth Authority not already classified as a prison member, provided that his or her death occurred as a result of misconduct of an inmate of a state prison, correctional school, or facility of the Department of Corrections or the Department of the Youth Authority, or a parolee therefrom.

The special death benefit provided by this section is not payable unless the death of the member arose out of and was in the course of his or her official duties and unless there is a survivor who qualifies under subdivision (b) of Section 21541. The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, using the same procedure as in workers' compensation hearings, shall, in disputed cases, determine whether the member's death arose out of and in the course of his or her official duties.

A natural parent of surviving children eligible to receive an allowance payable under this section shall not be required to become the guardian of surviving unmarried children under 18 years of age in order to be paid the benefits prescribed for those children.

The jurisdiction of the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board shall be limited solely to the issue of industrial causation, and this section shall not be construed to authorize the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board to award costs against this system pursuant to Section 4600 or 5811 or any other provision of the Labor Code.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 379, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1996.)