Bill > HB2204

This bill, titled the "Officer Craig Tiger Act," expands workers' compensation coverage for first responders in Arizona by establishing a presumption that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an occupational disease. This means that PTSD, when diagnosed by a licensed mental health professional and linked to job duties, will be considered a compensable condition under workers' compensation laws, similar to physical injuries. The bill also clarifies and expands the definition of "first responder" to include public safety telecommunicators, who are individuals employed by emergency communications centers responsible for receiving, processing, and dispatching emergency calls. Additionally, it amends existing laws to ensure that public safety employees, including firefighters and peace officers, who are exposed to psychologically traumatic events receive up to twelve visits of licensed counseling paid for by their employer, with provisions for additional visits and protections for public safety telecommunicators receiving this counseling, such as not being required to use paid leave or undergo independent medical exams if they haven't filed a workers' compensation claim. The bill also repeals a previous law related to workers' compensation and makes technical amendments to various sections of Arizona Revised Statutes concerning occupational diseases, presumptions for certain cancers in firefighters and peace officers, and the process for filing workers' compensation claims.

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https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/83874