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HB 5608

AN ACT RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE -- LOBSTERS AND OTHER CRUSTACEANS -- BLUE CRABS

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jon Brien and 6 co-sponsors

HB 5608 expands Workers' Comp to PTSD for police, corrections, EMTs, firefighters, and parole officers, making PTSD a presumptively compensable condition.

03/18/2025 Committee postponed at request of sponsor (03/20/2025)
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Bill Summary · HB 5608

Summary: HB 5608 — Expanding Workers' Compensation Coverage for Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries for Law Enforcement and First Responders

Overview

HB 5608 is a proposed act titled “AN ACT EXPANDING WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURIES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRST RESPONDERS.” The bill seeks to broaden workers’ compensation coverage to include post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) for certain public safety personnel. The referenced groups are correctional institution employees, emergency medical responders, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and parole officers.

What the bill would do (as described by the title and intent)

  • Extend workers’ compensation coverage to PTSD and related post-traumatic stress injuries arising in the course of specified public safety employment.
  • Denote PTSD as a compensable condition for the listed categories of frontline workers, potentially under criteria similar to or aligned with existing work-related injury standards, subject to the bill’s exact definitions and procedures.
  • Clarify how PTSD claims would be evaluated, documented, and adjudicated for eligibility under workers’ compensation, including any physician certifications, timelines, and administrative processes.

Note: The provided materials do not include the full text of the bill, so specific define-and-apply details (e.g., eligibility criteria, medical substantiation requirements, evidentiary standards, filing deadlines, caps, or presumptions) are not available here. The summary above reflects the bill’s stated purpose and scope based on its title and subject matter.

Who would be affected

  • Primary: Employees in the following roles
    • Correctional institution employees
    • Emergency medical responders
    • Firefighters
    • Law enforcement personnel
    • Parole officers
  • Potentially affected stakeholders include employers (public agencies and departments employing these workers), workers’ compensation administrators, and the medical/psychological providers who treat PTSD in this population.

Status and timeline (as recorded)

  • Introduced: March 14, 2025
  • Referrals and committee actions:
    • January 21, 2025: Ref. to Joint Committee on Labor and Public Employees
    • April 7, 2025: Read first time; referred to Higher Education (note: the record also shows the earlier committee referral; the shift to Higher Education may reflect a procedural amendment)
  • Current status: REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Labor and Public Employees (as listed), with at least one subsequent action indicating a referral to another committee.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Access to benefits: If enacted, PTSD could become a presumptively compensable condition for eligible workers, reducing out-of-pocket costs and potentially expediting claim adjudication.
  • Administrative changes: Agencies, workers’ compensation boards, and medical evaluators would implement new definitions, evidence requirements, and timelines for PTSD claims.
  • Fiscal effects: Depending on eligibility criteria and any presumptions, the bill could influence workers’ compensation premium costs for public employers and related state/federal funding streams.
  • Implementation questions to review in the full text: exact PTSD definitions, eligibility thresholds, retroactivity, required medical documentation, timelines for filing, and any limits or exceptions.

Next steps for readers

  • Review the full bill text when available to understand precise definitions, eligibility criteria, procedural rules, and any fiscal provisions.
  • Monitor subsequent committee actions and potential amendments, which will shape the bill’s scope and implementation.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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