Senate Bill 168 proposes amendments to the conditions of liability for workers' compensation benefits specifically for emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners, and medical examiners, particularly in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The bill removes the requirement for these individuals to demonstrate a diagnosis based on unusual stress exceeding typical emotional strain, aligning their claims process with that of law enforcement officers and firefighters. Additionally, it limits compensation for PTSD diagnoses to three instances over a lifetime, regardless of changes in employment.

The bill also includes several new definitions and clarifications within the workers' compensation statutes. It renumbers and amends existing definitions, such as changing "fire fighter" to "firefighter" and introduces new terms for correctional officers, emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, and medicolegal investigation staff members. The introductory language for the conditions under which mental injuries are compensable has been updated to include these new categories of workers, ensuring they are treated similarly to law enforcement officers in terms of workers' compensation claims for PTSD.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 102.17(9)(b)(intro.), 102.17