KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

HB0310 • 2026

Workers Compensation

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.

Crime Healthcare Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Maberry, Bailey
Last action
2025-05-27
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

James Dustin Samples Act

This law makes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by certain traumatic events in the line of duty for firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical workers eligible for workers' compensation.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'emergency medical responder' as an EMT, technician-paramedic, or paramedic.
  • Defines 'law enforcement officer' as someone who works for a state or local government to prevent crime and catch criminals.
  • Changes the law so that PTSD diagnosed within one year of leaving work is considered job-related if caused by specific traumatic events during duty.
  • Lists four types of incidents where PTSD can be presumed to be related to work.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Firefighters
  • Police officers
  • Emergency medical workers

Terms To Know

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
A mental health condition that can occur after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event.
First responders
People like firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical workers who are first to respond in emergencies.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies if PTSD is diagnosed within one year of leaving the job.
  • Local governments may need to pay more money for this new requirement.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 480

  3. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 480

  4. 2025-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  10. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  11. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  12. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  14. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 91, Nays 1, PNV 0

  15. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 4/22/2025

  17. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  19. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  20. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  21. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  22. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  23. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2025

  24. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025

  25. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  27. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  28. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2025

  29. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/15/2025

  30. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  31. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  32. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  33. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  34. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  35. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  36. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  37. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  38. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  40. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  41. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  42. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  43. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  44. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  45. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  46. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/18/2025

  47. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  48. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  49. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  50. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  51. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  52. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  53. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  54. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  55. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  56. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  57. 2025-01-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  58. 2025-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

The
"
James
'
Dustin
'
Samples Act
" provides that i
f a firefighter is diagnosed
, within one year of the firefighter's final date of employment,
with post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD)
by a mental health professional as a result of responding to one or more incidents with at least one of the factors
described

below,
then the injury is presumed to have incurred in the line of duty and is compens
able under the Workers' Compensation Law, unless it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the
PTSD
was caused by non-service-connected risk factors or non-service-connected exposure.

The factors to be considered for purposes of determining whet
her an injury is presumed to have been incurred in the line of duty are as follows:



Directly witnessing the death of a minor, or treating the injury of a minor, who subsequently died before or upon arrival at a hospital emergency department
.



Directly witnessing an individual whose death involved a serious bodily injury of a nature that shocks the conscience
.



Responding to an event where there was a victim with a serious bodily injury that shocks the conscience
.



Responding to an event where a responder, co-worker of a responder, or family member of a responder sustained a serious bodily injury or died.

This bill expands the Act

to also cover
law enforcement officers
and
emergency medical responde
rs.

This bill defines

"e
mergency medical responder
s"

as
emergency medical technician
s
, technician-paramedic
s
, or paramedic
s, and "l
aw enforcement officer
s"

as
individual
s
employed by this state or a local government as member
s
of a law enforcement agency whose primary responsibility is the prevention and detection of crime and the apprehension of offenders
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 289
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 310
By Maberry

HB0310
001833
- 1 -

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

- 2 - 001833

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.