House Bill No. 5279 seeks to amend the current workers' compensation law by introducing "witnessing a serious physical injury" as a new qualifying event for post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) coverage for specific eligible individuals, including police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, and health care providers. The bill defines "serious physical injury" in accordance with section 53a-3 and specifies that this new qualifying event will take effect on October 1, 2026. It clarifies that witnessing such an injury must not result in the death of the individual or lead to permanent disfigurement or the loss of a vital body part or function.

In addition to this new insertion, the bill makes several deletions and modifications to existing definitions and qualifying events under section 31-294k. Notably, it removes the previous qualifying event of witnessing a traumatic physical injury that results in permanent disfigurement, replacing it with the new criteria for serious physical injuries. The legislation aims to broaden the scope of workers' compensation coverage for mental health impacts stemming from traumatic experiences in the line of duty, particularly for first responders and health care workers. The bill also establishes specific limitations and procedures for PTSI benefits, including a cap on benefits duration at 52 weeks and a prohibition on claims being awarded more than four years after the qualifying event, which may have financial implications for the Department of Administrative Services and self-insured municipalities starting in FY 27.