HB 5279 — AN ACT ADDING WITNESSING A SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY AS A QUALIFYING EVENT FOR PURPOSES OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURY WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE.

House of Representatives General Assembly RaisedFile Bill No.

5279237 February Session, 2026 LCOHouse Bill No.

12905279 ReferredHouse toof Representatives, March 30, 2026 The Committee on LABORLabor ANDand PUBLICPublic EMPLOYEESEmployees Introducedreported by:through REP.

(LAB)SANCHEZ, ANE. ACT ADDING WITNESSING A SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY AS A QUALIFYING EVENT FOR PURPOSES OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURY WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE.

of the 24th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT ADDING WITNESSING A SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY AS A QUALIFYING EVENT FOR PURPOSES OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURY WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE.

(2) "Eligible individual" means a police officer, firefighter, emergency medical services personnel, Department of Correction employee, telecommunicator or health care provider, and on and after January 1, 2024,HB5279 an/ employee;File No.

LCO237 1290 1 ofHB5279 5File Raised Bill No.

5279237 (3)2024, "Emergencyan medicalemployee; services personnel" has the same meaning as provided in section 20-206jj;

(3) "Emergency medical services personnel" has the same meaning as provided in section 20-206jj;

(11)HB5279 "Post-traumatic/ stressFile injury" means an injury that meets the LCO 1290 2 of 5 Raised Bill No.

5279237 diagnostic2 criteriaHB5279 forFile post-traumaticNo. stress disorder as specified in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders";

237 (11) "Post-traumatic stress injury" means an injury that meets the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder as specified in the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders";

(B) An event arising out of and in the course of employment on or LCOHB5279 1290/ 3File of 5 Raised Bill No.

5279237 after3 MarchHB5279 10,File 2020,No. in which an eligible individual who is a health care provider is engaged in activities substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the public health and civil preparedness emergencies declared by the Governor on March 10, 2020, or any extension of such emergency declarations;

237 after March 10, 2020, in which an eligible individual who is a health care provider is engaged in activities substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the public health and civil preparedness emergencies declared by the Governor on March 10, 2020, or any extension of such emergency declarations;

(v) Carries an injured person who subsequently dies before or upon LCOadmission 1290at 4a hospital as a result of 5the Raisedinjury Billand not as a result of any HB5279 / File No.

5279237 admission4 atHB5279 aFile hospitalNo. as a result of the injury and not as a result of any other intervening cause;

237 other intervening cause;

Section 1 October 1, 2026 31-294k(a) LAB Joint Favorable LCOHB5279 1290/ 5File ofNo. 5

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237 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Department of Administrative App Fund - See Below See Below Services - Workers' Comp.

Potential Cost Claims Note:

App Fund=All Appropriated Funds Municipal Impact:

Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Various Municipalities STATE See Below See Below MANDATE 1 - Potential Cost Explanation The bill results in a potential cost to the Department of Administrative Services – Worker’s Compensation Claims and various self-insured municipalities beginning in FY 27 to the extent qualified personnel apply for workers’ compensation benefits due to the expanded population eligible for such benefits due to post-traumatic stress injuries.

Any potential increase in the number of workers' compensation claims resulting from this bill is not anticipated to be great enough to 1State mandate is defined in Sec.

2-32b(2) of the Connecticut General Statutes, "state mandate" means any state initiated constitutional, statutory or executive action that requires a local government to establish, expand or modify its activities in such a way as to necessitate additional expenditures from local revenues.

HB5279 / File No.

237 6 HB5279 File No.

237 result in a fiscal impact to the Workers' Compensation Commission.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to inflation.

HB5279 / File No.

237 7 HB5279 File No.

237 OLR Bill Analysis HB 5279 AN ACT ADDING WITNESSING A SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY AS A QUALIFYING EVENT FOR PURPOSES OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURY WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE.

SUMMARY This bill expands the range of “qualifying events” that allow employees to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits for a post- traumatic stress injury (PTSI).

Current law generally limits these qualifying events to witnessing events involving someone’s death (for example, witnessing a death or an injury that subsequently led to death) or traumatic physical injury that results in their loss of a vital body part or function that results in permanent disfigurement.