HARRISBURG – Delaware County Rep. Jennifer O’Mara’s legislation prioritizing first responders’ mental health and their accessibility to treatment has cleared the PA House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee. The bipartisan bill, House Bill 1632, would add Post-Traumatic Stress Injury as an eligible claim for first responders filing for worker’s compensation. To qualify, the injury would have to be brought on as a result of the first responder’s job duties and the individual would have to have received a PTSI diagnosis from a licensed medical or mental health professional. The bill would make PTSI an eligible claim by amending the Worker’s Compensation Act. If enacted, PA would be the 26th state to provide workers’ compensation benefits to first responders suffering from PTSI. The bill now goes for a full House vote.
REP. JENNIFER O’MARA