Rhode Island to consider adding off-duty work to PTSD law

Rhode Island lawmakers are considering amendments to the state’s existing post-traumatic stress disorder presumption for first responders to include those performing work off-duty.

S.B. 2059, introduced Friday and sent to the Finance Committee, states that events that occur “involving the protection or the rescue of human life while off-duty” would qualify as work when applying the state’s PTSD presumption.

The bill also states that benefits would not be extended to a police officer or firefighter if their “post-traumatic stress injury diagnosis arises out of any disciplinary action, work evaluation, job transfer, layoff, demotion, termination or similar adverse job actions.”