Bill > S2373

This bill provides employment protections for paid first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by establishing legal safeguards against workplace discrimination. The bill defines first responders as including law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and 9-1-1 dispatchers employed in public entities. Under the bill, employers are prohibited from discharging, harassing, or retaliating against an employee who takes leave related to a qualifying PTSD diagnosis. A qualifying diagnosis must be either memorialized in a workers' compensation order or documented by a mental health professional, and must result from either directly experiencing/witnessing a traumatic event during job duties or experiencing vicarious trauma through job performance. If an employee is found to have a qualifying PTSD diagnosis, they must be reinstated to their previous position upon returning to work. The bill provides a mechanism for employees to seek legal remedies through civil action in Superior Court, with potential outcomes including reinstatement, compensation for lost wages, civil fines against the employer, payment of legal fees, and other common law tort remedies. Employees must file such actions within one year of the alleged violation, and this legal pathway is established as the sole remedy for violations of the act. The bill aims to protect first responders who suffer mental health challenges directly related to their high-stress professional responsibilities.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/S2373