Bill > SB860

This bill expands workers' compensation benefits for law-enforcement officers and firefighters suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder. The legislation dramatically increases the maximum duration of benefits from 52 weeks to 500 weeks from the date of diagnosis and removes the previous four-year limitation on medical treatment and temporary disability benefits. Importantly, the bill broadens the definition of "law-enforcement officer" to include civilian crime scene investigators employed by county, city, town police departments, or sheriff's offices. To qualify for benefits, a mental health professional must diagnose the condition as resulting from a specific qualifying event in the line of duty, such as incidents involving serious bodily injury, death, threats to life, mass casualties, or crime scene investigations. The bill requires employers to provide peer support and mental health referrals, and mandates that fire basic training programs include resilience and self-care technique training. These changes aim to better support first responders who experience mental health challenges directly related to their professional duties.

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https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB860