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H 4399

First Responder Wellness Exams

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Brandon Cox and 3 co-sponsors

Mandates annual wellness exams for 911 dispatchers, firefighters, EMTs, and police, with agencies required to provide the exams and oversee compliance.

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Bill Summary · H 4399

Summary — H 4399: "First Responder Wellness Exams"

Note on source material: The document provided contains mixed text — a Massachusetts local charter amendment (Middleton, MA) and a separate South Carolina draft statute titled “First Responder Wellness Exams.” This summary focuses on the substantive provisions of the first-responder wellness legislation (the South Carolina content), and flags the record inconsistency for verification with the official legislative repository.

Purpose

To require annual, successful completion of standardized wellness examinations for a broad set of public safety personnel — intended to identify and address physical and/or mental health issues among first responders and emergency dispatchers.

Key provisions (by statutory changes cited in the draft)

  • Section 23-23-45 (amended):

    • Beginning January 1, 2025, all 911 telecommunicators who dispatch for emergency medical conditions must:
    • Be trained annually in high‑quality telecommunicator-assisted CPR (T‑CPR) using current national cardiovascular care guidelines (includes OHCA recognition and compression‑only CPR instruction).
    • Complete successfully annual wellness examinations.
    • Agencies employing these telecommunicators must provide the training and wellness examinations.

  • New Section 23-9-200:

    • The State Fire Marshal shall require all firefighters to complete successfully annual wellness examinations.

  • Section 44-61-80 (amended):

    • The department responsible for EMT certification must require all emergency medical technicians to complete successfully annual wellness examinations (in addition to developing/approving educational standards).

  • New Section 23-23-57:

    • All law enforcement officers are required to complete successfully annual wellness examinations.

  • Effective date:

    • The act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Who is affected

  • 911 telecommunicators who dispatch EMS calls
  • Firefighters (as regulated by State Fire Marshal)
  • Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
  • Law enforcement officers
  • Employers/agencies that hire these public safety workers (responsible for providing exams/training)
  • State agencies (State Fire Marshal, relevant certification/licensing departments) — required to adopt/implement the requirements

Implementation, enforcement, and gaps

  • The draft mandates annual “wellness examinations” but does not specify:
    • The content, provider qualifications, scope (physical, mental health, fitness-for-duty testing), or standards for the examinations.
    • Who bears the cost (state vs. local employers vs. individuals).
    • Confidentiality, employment/discipline consequences, or accommodations/exemptions.
    • Enforcement mechanisms, penalties for noncompliance, or timelines for rulemaking.
  • Agencies named (State Fire Marshal; department overseeing EMTs) would need to promulgate implementing rules or guidance to operationalize requirements.

Potential impacts

  • Potential benefits: earlier identification and treatment of health issues, improved responder safety and community safety, standardized training for dispatch CPR.
  • Potential burdens: increased administrative and financial cost for agencies and employers; need for policies on privacy, fitness-for-duty, accommodations, and funding.

Procedural status / next steps

  • The South Carolina draft shows introduction/filing dates in 2025 and states the act takes effect upon gubernatorial approval.
  • Because the record provided includes conflicting items (a Massachusetts charter amendment labeled H 4399), verify the correct bill text, jurisdiction, and current legislative status on the official legislative website or clerk’s office before relying on this summary for decision-making or compliance planning.

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

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