Governor signs Benham bill closing Pittsburgh firefighter pension loophole

New law will allow spouses of deceased firefighters to continue receiving benefits

Rep. Jessica Benham May 6, 2026 | 1:51 PM

HARRISBURG, May 6 – State Rep. Jessica Benham today announced her legislation allowing the surviving spouse of a deceased firefighter in a Second Class City to continue to receive pension benefits if the spouse remarries, was signed into law as Act 11 of 2026.

“I am proud we were able to get this done for Pittsburgh firefighters and their families,” said Benham, D-Allegheny. “This new law corrects a long-standing inequity and ensures that surviving spouses of Pittsburgh firefighters are treated with the dignity they deserve. Families of first responders should never lose benefits their loved one earned through a lifetime of service.”

Benham said she was pleased to see unanimous support for the bill from both legislative chambers on its journey to the governor’s desk.

Previous law required pension payments to be discontinued if a surviving spouse of a deceased firefighter in a Second Class City remarried. In Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is the only city under Second Class City classification and its firefighters were the only professional firefighters in the state whose pensions were subject to such a provision.

Benham said the new law will not increase costs for firefighter companies because the full cost of these pensions are already factored into pension projections.

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