AN ACT EXPANDING WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURIES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRST RESPONDERS.

HB 5608 expands workers' compensation coverage to include post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSD) for law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, parole officers, correctional employees, and telecommunicators. It specifically adds coverage for PTSD resulting from witnessing injuries that do not cause death or loss of a vital body part/function (e.g., severe but non-life-threatening harm to others). The bill amends Section 31-294k of the general statutes to include these incidents under existing workers' compensation eligibility. This change directly affects public safety workers who develop PTSD from traumatic on-the-job exposures, providing them access to benefits they previously might not have qualified for.