An Act amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act, further providing for title of act, for application and authority for payment and eligibility and amount of benefit and for definitions.

PRINTER'S NO. 1126
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 237
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CERRATO, O'MARA, MUNROE, GUENST, GIRAL, HILL-
EVANS, MAYES, HOWARD, McNEILL, PROBST, SANCHEZ, BOROWSKI,
SCOTT, GALLAGHER, KHAN, DALEY, DONAHUE, STEELE, WARREN,
DEASY, DOUGHERTY, WHITE AND CONKLIN, MARCH 25, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 25, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), entitled
"An act providing for the payment of death benefits to the
surviving spouse or children or parents of firefighters,
ambulance service or rescue squad members, law enforcement
officers or National Guard members who die as a result of the
performance of their duties," further providing for title of
act, for application and authority for payment and
eligibility and amount of benefit and for definitions.
This act may be referred to as Bryan's Law.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The title of the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424,
No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement
Personnel Death Benefits Act, is amended to read:
AN ACT
Providing for the payment of death benefits to [the surviving
spouse or children or parents of] firefighters, ambulance
service or rescue squad members, law enforcement officers
[or], National Guard members [who die] or a surviving spouse,
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children or parents after death or suicide as a result of the
performance of [their] the firefighters', ambulance service
or rescue squad members', law enforcement officers' or
National Guard members' duties.
Section 2. Section 1 of the act is amended by adding a
subsection to read:
Section 1. * * *
(a.2) A firefighter, ambulance service or rescue squad
member, law enforcement officer, certified hazardous material
response team member , member of the Pennsylvania Civil Air
Patrol or National Guard member shall be presumed to have died
as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury
sustained in the line of duty if one of the following apply:
(1) The individual died while influenced by a diagnosed
psychiatric disorder due to on-duty exposure to one or more
traumatic events.
(2) The individual acted within 45 days of the end of an
exposure to a traumatic event while in the line of duty and
brought about the individual's death while influenced by an
undiagnosed psychiatric disorder.
* * *
Section 3. Section 2 of the act is amended by adding
definitions to read:
Section 2. The following words and phrases when used in this
act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"Personal injury sustained in the line of duty" means at
least one of the following:
(1) A post-traumatic stress injury , acute stress disorder or
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trauma and stress related disorder diagnosed by a licensed
medical or mental health professional due to on-duty exposure to
one or more traumatic events and where the exposure was a
substantial factor in the diagnosis of the disorder.
(2) A post-traumatic stress injury , acute stress disorder or
trauma and stress related disorder suffered by an individual who
has contacted or attempted to contact the employee assistance
program of the agency or entity that the individual serves, a
licensed medical or mental health professional, suicide
prevention services or another mental health assistance service
in order to receive help, treatment or diagnosis for post-
traumatic stress injury or acute stress disorder due to exposure
while in the line of duty.
(3) An undiagnosed post-traumatic stress injury, acute
stress disorder or trauma and stress related disorder suffered
in the line of duty while exposed to one or more traumatic
events if the exposure is discovered to have been a substantial
factor in the personal injury.
"Post-traumatic stress injury" means as defined in 35 Pa.C.S.
§ 75A01 (relating to definitions).
* * *
"Traumatic event" means an incident or exposure:
(1) resulting in serious bodily injury or death to an
individual;
(2) involving a minor who has been injured, killed, abused
or exploited;
(3) involving an immediate threat to the life of the
claimant or another individual;
(4) involving mass casualties; or
(5) responding to crime scenes for investigations.
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Section 4. Section 3 of the act is amended to read:
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately and its
provisions shall be retroactive to January 1, [1976] 2019, and
shall be applicable to the deaths of all firefighters, ambulance
service or rescue squad members and law enforcement personnel
[dying] sustaining a personal injury resulting in death on and
after said date as the direct result of injuries sustained in
the performance of their duties, regardless of the date when
such injuries occurred.
Section 5. The addition of section 1(a.2) and the
definitions of "personal injury sustained in the line of duty"
and "traumatic event" in section 2 of the act shall apply to all
claims for benefits under the act arising on or after January 1,
2019.
Section 6. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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