Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1667 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R4000 KKR-F
2	2	By: Canales H.B. No. 1667
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the eligibility of certain first responders for
10	10	workers' compensation benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder
11	11	under the workers' compensation system.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 408.006(b), Labor Code, is amended to
14	14	read as follows:
15	15	(b) Notwithstanding Section 408.0061 [504.019], a mental or
16	16	emotional injury that arises principally from a legitimate
17	17	personnel action, including a transfer, promotion, demotion, or
18	18	termination, is not a compensable injury under this subtitle.
19	19	SECTION 2. Section 504.019, Labor Code, is transferred to
20	20	Subchapter A, Chapter 408, Labor Code, redesignated as Section
21	21	408.0061, and amended to read as follows:
22	22	Sec. 408.0061 [504.019]. COVERAGE FOR POST-TRAUMATIC
23	23	STRESS DISORDER FOR CERTAIN FIRST RESPONDERS. (a) In this section:
24	24	(1) "First responder" means an individual employed by
25	25	this state, a political subdivision of this state, or an
26	26	institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003,
27	27	Education Code, who is:
28	28	(A) a peace officer under Article 2A.001, Code of
29	29	Criminal Procedure;
30	30	(B) an individual [a person] licensed under
31	31	Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, as an emergency care
32	32	attendant, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency
33	33	medical technician [technician-intermediate], emergency medical
34	34	technician-paramedic, or licensed paramedic; or
35	35	(C) a firefighter subject to certification by the
36	36	Texas Commission on Fire Protection under Chapter 419, Government
37	37	Code, whose principal duties are firefighting and aircraft crash
38	38	and rescue.
39	39	(2) "Post-traumatic stress disorder" means a disorder
40	40	that meets the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress
41	41	disorder specified by the American Psychiatric Association in the
42	42	Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth
43	43	edition, or a later edition adopted by the commissioner of workers'
44	44	compensation.
45	45	(b) Post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by a first
46	46	responder is a compensable injury under this subtitle only if it is
47	47	based on a diagnosis that:
48	48	(1) the disorder is caused by one or more events
49	49	occurring in the course and scope of the first responder's
50	50	employment; and
51	51	(2) the preponderance of the evidence indicates that
52	52	the event or events were a producing cause of the disorder.
53	53	(c) For purposes of this subtitle, the date of injury for
54	54	post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by a first responder is the
55	55	date on which the first responder first knew or should have known
56	56	that the disorder may be related to the first responder's
57	57	employment.
58	58	SECTION 3. Section 501.001(5-a), Labor Code, is amended to
59	59	read as follows:
60	60	(5-a) "Post-traumatic stress disorder" has the
61	61	meaning assigned by Section 408.0061 [504.019].
62	62	SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
63	63	a claim for workers' compensation benefits based on a compensable
64	64	injury that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act. A
65	65	claim based on a compensable injury that occurs before that date is
66	66	governed by the law as it existed on the date the compensable injury
67	67	occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
68	68	purpose.
69	69	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.