Workers' compensation; occupation disease presumptions, PTSD.

Workers' compensation; occupation disease presumptions; PTSD. Establishes a presumption that if certain firefighters, law-enforcement officers, hazardous materials officers, animal protection police officers, or 9-1-1 emergency call takers, dispatchers, or similarly situated employees (i) receive a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from a licensed physician, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed professional counselor, or licensed clinical social worker; (ii) suffer death or any impairment resulting in total or partial disability from work caused by the PTSD; and (iii) receive a statement from such a provider that the PTSD was caused by a single critical event or multiple exposures to critical events that occurred in the course of the employment, then the PTSD is an occupational disease, suffered in the line of duty, that is covered by the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act unless such presumption is overcome by a preponderance of competent evidence to the contrary. The measure provides that a "critical event" includes an event that results in serious injury or death to an individual; deals with a minor who has been injured, killed, abused, exploited, or a victim of a crime; deals with mass casualties; results in injury to or the death of a coworker; involves an immediate threat to the life of the claimant or another individual; or involves the abuse, cruelty, injury, exploitation, or death of an animal. This bill was incorporated into SB 561.