Workers Comp

PTSD bill for police, firefighters advances in Minn. Senate

Danielle Ling

March 14, 2022 Reprints

Regulation Workers Comp Coverage Workplace Safety More + Less -

A bill was introduced in the Minnesota state Senate on Monday that would require treatment for post-traumatic stress disorders in peace officers, firefighters and state troopers as part of workers compensation benefit eligibility.

An identical bill to S.F. 3943 was introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives last week. Both S.F. 3943 and H.B. 4026 outline, for the purposes of compensation for temporary partial disability or temporary total disability, that employees must continue to complete one period of treatment for every 16 weeks of compensation the employee receives under this chapter. Before permanent restrictions can be addressed, the employee shall complete at least two periods of treatment or 32 weeks before a determination can be made that the employee will never return to gainful employment.

The bill would provide the employer continue to provide health insurance benefits and pay the employer's contribution to both health and contribution to retirement benefits for the duration of the 32 weeks of treatment required for an employee.

If the employee is determined to have a permanent disability, the employee shall continue treatment for PTSD at the direction of the employee's mental health care provider, who must continually assess the employee's progress in treatment at least annually, including any change to the employee’s ability to return to gainful employment.

S.F. 3943 was introduced and referred to the Senate Labor and Industry Policy Committee, where it is pending.