LANSING - The beginning stages of a move to make health care benefits uniform for families of police officers killed on duty has begun, and one legislator wants it to move fast.

Inconsistencies across Michigan have sparked a proposal to make coverage a state responsibility.

Currently, the state is responsible for providing health care benefits only for families of state troopers. All others are left to local governments.

Yet many local governments are limited in what they offer. For example, some provide coverage only for 36 months after the death.

It was such a scenario in Clare County that prompted Rep. Tim Moore, R-Farwell, to put the proposal on the top of his priority list. 

In October 2003, sheriff's Deputy Kevin Sherwood died on duty, leaving behind his wife, Katherine, and three children, Moore said.

Sherwood was killed when he collided with a car that was traveling the wrong way on U.S. 127.

"The widow about a month ago received a letter that she won't have health insurance come Oct. 8," Moore said. "If he had been wearing a blue uniform that night, they would be taken care of" and be covered. "Blue uniform" is a reference to state troopers.

The state provides lifetime benefits for the spouses of a troopers killed on duty and their children up to the age of 18, according to the state police. 

Moore said, "Most counties don't have contingency plans for that. Some counties take care of it, and yet there are a lot of counties that don't have money to provide health insurance plans."

"We need to take it out of their hands and put it at a state level, where it should be anyways."

The fiscal impact of providing health coverage for survivors would be minimal, said Tom Hendrickson, executive director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. About three law enforcement officers die on duty in Michigan each year.

Hendrickson said he hasn't seen a draft of the bill, but the association supports the idea of uniform coverage at state expense.

Terrence Jungel, executive director of Michigan Sheriffs' Association, said the issue hadn't come up before because there have been only a few deaths where it would have applied. Many times the spouse has other health benefit options or there were no surviving spouse or children.

"The important part is, when it is applicable, it is there," Jungel said.

Support for the measure is bipartisan in the House and Senate, he said.

"We are all pretty united in this front," Jungel said. "The question is how we are going to do it and when we are going to it. We recognize that there is no legal obligation but an overriding moral obligation to see this doesn't happen again."

The in and outs of the bill are now being discussed, Moore said. For example, he wants a provision covering children through college, just as they are under most state employee health plans. 

Moore said he doesn't foresee problems winning approval.

In the case of Katherine Sherwood, the Clare County Board of Commissioners has extended her coverage one more year.

"We have until October of next year to make sure this is done," Moore said. "I'd love to get it through this year."

"To me, it's common sense," he said. "I don't want any more bad situations."