(a) In order for a natural child to be eligible to receive a scholarship benefit:
(1) The child must have been born prior to the date of the death or total and permanent disability of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee; or
(2) The law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee or the spouse of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee must have been pregnant with the child at the time of the death or total and permanent disability of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee.
(b) In order for an adopted child to be eligible to receive a scholarship benefit:
(1) The child must have been adopted prior to the date of the death or total and permanent disability of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee; or
(2) The child's adoption process must have begun prior to the date of the death or total and permanent disability of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee.
(c) In order for a stepchild under the age of nineteen (19) to be eligible to receive a scholarship benefit:
(1) The stepchild must have been listed as a dependent on the federal and state income tax returns of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee in each of the five (5) income years immediately prior to the date of the death or total and permanent disability of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee; and
(2) The stepchild must have received more than one-half (1/2) of his or her financial support from the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee in each of the five (5) income years immediately prior to the date of the death or total and permanent disability of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee.
(d) In order for a stepchild nineteen (19) years of age or older to be eligible to receive a scholarship benefit:
(1) The stepchild must have been listed as a dependent on the federal and state income tax returns of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee in each of five (5) income years during the eight (8) years immediately prior to the date of the death or total and permanent disability of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, teacher, state parks employee, or state forestry employee; and
(2) The stepchild must have received more than one-half (1/2) of his or her financial support from the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee in each of five (5) income years during the eight (8) years immediately prior to the date of the death or total and permanent disability of the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, emergency medical technician, state highway employee, state correction employee, Department of Community Correction employee, state parks employee, teacher, or state forestry employee.
(e) If the covered public employee or his or her heirs did not file for the available death or disability benefit, but were otherwise eligible to receive, within the time frame provided in § 21-5-703, then the covered public employee's child or children who would have otherwise been eligible to receive the provided educational scholarship benefit under this section may individually file prior to their twenty-first birthdays a claim to receive the provided educational scholarship benefit.