AL SB166

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

Officers and firefighters must meet eligibility requirements including: waiving liability claims against their employer, participating in peer support services, receiving certification of PTSD from a licensed clinical psychologist or board-certified psychiatrist, and demonstrating the disorder resulted solely from a specific traumatic event involving death or severe injury during duty.

Employers must provide disability payments equal to 66 2/3 percent of base compensation for officers and firefighters unable to return to work due to PTSD, with payments limited to 24 months maximum and conditioned on remaining in treatment with monthly attendance confirmation.

Return-to-work authorization requires written approval from the treating mental health professional who made the original PTSD diagnosis.

Payments received under this act are excluded from state income taxation, and premiums for coverage are exempt from premium taxes; the act becomes effective January 1, 2022, and does not apply to PTSD from events occurring before that date.