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2023 SESSION

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SB 904 Workers' compensation; anxiety disorder or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers.

Introduced by: Bill DeSteph | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder; law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Provides that an anxiety disorder or depressive disorder, as both are defined in the bill, incurred by a law-enforcement officer or firefighter is compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act on the same basis as post-traumatic stress disorder, except in the case of responding to crime scenes for investigation. The bill provides that a mental health professional must diagnose the covered individual as suffering from anxiety disorder or depressive disorder as a result of a qualifying event, defined in the bill as an incident or exposure occurring in the line of duty on or after July 1, 2023, and includes other conditions for compensability. This bill is identical to HB 1775.

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder; law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Provides that an anxiety disorder or depressive disorder, as both are defined in the bill, incurred by a law-enforcement officer or firefighter is compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act on the same basis as post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill provides that a mental health professional must diagnose the covered individual as suffering from anxiety disorder or depressive disorder as a result of a qualifying event, defined in the bill as an incident or exposure occurring in the line of duty on or after July 1, 2023, and includes other conditions for compensability. The bill requires each employer of law-enforcement officers to provide resilience and self-care technique training beginning July 1, 2023.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder; law-enforcement officers, public safety telecommunicators, and firefighters. Provides that an anxiety disorder or depressive disorder, as both are defined in the bill, incurred by a law-enforcement officer, public safety telecommunicator, or firefighter is compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act on the same basis as post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill adds correctional officers to the definition of law-enforcement officers for whom the workers' compensation presumption for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder applies. The bill provides that a mental health professional must diagnose the covered individual as suffering from anxiety disorder or depressive disorder as a result of a qualifying event, defined in the bill as an incident or exposure occurring in the line of duty on or after July 1, 2023, and includes other conditions for compensability. The bill requires each employer of law-enforcement officers and public safety telecommunicators to provide resilience and self-care technique training beginning July 1, 2023. The bill also adds mental health professionals to certain provisions that currently apply to physicians and surgeons.