Workers Compensation - As enacted, creates a presumption that the diagnosis of a law enforcement officer or emergency medical responder with post-traumatic stress disorder as the result of responding to certain incidents, the official text

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~tate of \leennessee

PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 480

                                                  HOUSE BILL NO. 310

   By Representatives Maberry, Scarbrough, Raper, Garrett, Carringer, Russell, Moody,
 Hardaway, Burkhart, Eldridge, Todd, McCalmon, Doggett, Hawk, Howell, Helton-Haynes,

                                                              White

                                        Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 289

                                       By Senators Bailey, Hatcher, Stevens

         AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 51 and Title 50, Chapter
6, relative to post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-206(b), is amended by adding
the following new subdivisions:

                    ( ) "Emergency medical responder" means an emergency medical technician,
          emergency medical technician-paramedic, or paramedic;

                    ( ) "Law enforcement officer" means an individual employed by this state or a
          local government as a member of a law enforcement agency whose primary
          responsibility is the prevention and detection of crime and the apprehension of
          offenders;

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-206(b)(1 ), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:

                    (1) "Employer" means:

                              (A) A municipality, county, metropolitan form of government, or other
                    political subdivision of this state that employs firefighters, law enforcement
                    officers, or emergency medical responders;

                              (B) This state or an agency of this state for purposes of employment of a
                    law enforcement officer;

          SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-206, is amended by deleting
from subsections (c) and (d) the language "firefighter" and substituting "firefighter, law
enforcement officer, or emergency medical responder"; and is further amended by deleting from
subsection (d) the language "firefighter's" and substituting "firefighter's, law enforcement
officer's, or emergency medical responder's"; and is further amended by deleting from
subsection (d) the language "fire department".

          SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.
                    HOUSE BILL NO. 310

PASSED:  April 22. 2025

                              C.

                                CAMERONSEXTON,SPEAKER
                               HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              ~ 1$ssn ~'4 ~ ' - ~ \ L ' -

                                  '     RANDY MCNAilY

                                  SPEAKER OF THE SENATE

~ ~ APPROVED this                       2025
                    ..day of

                    .. ,--    --

BILL LEE, GOVERNOR