States propose expanding PTSD presumptions

Connecticut lawmakers on Wednesday were presented with S.B. 228, which would expand the list of qualifying incidents for post-traumatic stress disorder presumption for first responders to incidents that don’t involve death or loss of a vital body part.

In New Hampshire, S.B. 28, also introduced Wednesday, would align the state’s presumption for mental illnesses suffered by first responders with standards set in law guiding other occupational illnesses: “the date of injury for acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder in an emergency responder shall be subject to the provisions for determining date of injury for occupational disease or cumulative trauma.” In New Hampshire, the date of injury for an occupational illness is the date when the worker knows or should have known of the injury’s nature and its possible connection to employment.

Virginia’s H.B. 2060, introduced Tuesday, would expand workers compensation benefits for anxiety disorder or depressive disorder of any law-enforcement officer or firefighter for a maximum of 104 weeks from the date of diagnosis, up from the current 52-week maximum. Also in Virginia, H.B. 1951, introduced Monday, would make dispatchers eligible for benefits.