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SB 593

Workers' compensation benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder incurred by firefighters, etc.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jennifer Carroll Foy and 4 co-sponsors

Virginia bill expands workers' compensation to presume PTSD in firefighters is work-related, ensuring coverage and financial support for service-caused mental health injuries.

Left in Appropriations
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 593

Legislative bill overview

SB 593 would expand Virginia's workers' compensation coverage to include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a compensable injury for firefighters and certain other first responders. Currently, Virginia's workers' compensation system primarily covers physical injuries, and mental health conditions face significant barriers to coverage. This bill would create a presumption that PTSD experienced by firefighters is work-related, removing the burden of proof from affected workers.

Why is this important

Firefighters face repeated exposure to traumatic events—deaths, severe injuries, and disasters—that can result in severe psychological injury comparable to physical trauma. Without coverage, affected firefighters bear personal financial and medical burdens despite injuries directly caused by job duties. This bill recognizes the occupational reality of firefighting and would provide critical mental health support and financial security to workers suffering from service-related PTSD.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost implications: Expanding workers' compensation coverage increases employer and insurance costs, which may be passed to municipalities or taxpayers; the bill's placement in Appropriations suggests fiscal concerns about funding
  • Scope and precedent: Defining PTSD as presumptively work-related for firefighters could create pressure to extend similar coverage to police, military, healthcare workers, and other professions with trauma exposure, significantly expanding program costs
  • Medical causation standards: Determining which cases of PTSD are genuinely work-caused versus pre-existing or personal-life-related conditions presents diagnostic and administrative challenges

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

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