AL HB212

Counties, municipalities, and fire districts must reimburse law enforcement officers and firefighters diagnosed with PTSD for co-payments related to treatment, including counseling or therapy, or maintain sufficient insurance coverage for such reimbursements.

Officers and firefighters must meet eligibility requirements including: agreeing the employer is not liable under tort law, participating in peer support services, receiving PTSD certification from a licensed clinical psychologist or board-certified psychiatrist with symptom validity testing, and confirming the disorder resulted solely from a specific traumatic event during duty.

A "specific event" is defined as an isolated, extraordinarily traumatic incident involving either witnessing or being directly engaged in actions resulting in death, or in actions resulting in severe injuries that lead directly to death within 24 hours of hospital admission.

Employers must provide disability payments equal to 66 2/3 percent of the officer's or firefighter's base compensation on a monthly basis for up to 24 months, only if the treating mental health professional determines the employee is unable to continue employment and the employee remains in treatment.

Payments received under this act are excluded from state income tax to the extent they are included in federal adjusted gross income, and premium funds for the required coverage are exempt from premium taxes.