PTSD/coroners & examiners

AN ACT Relating to recognizing posttraumatic stress disorder as 1
an occupational disease for county coroners, examiners, and 2
investigative personnel; and amending RCW 51.08.142.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 51.08.142 and 2023 c 370 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this 7
section, the department shall adopt a rule pursuant to chapter 34.05 8
RCW that claims based on mental conditions or mental disabilities 9
caused by stress do not fall within the definition of occupational 10
disease in RCW 51.08.140. 11
(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) and (c) of this subsection, the 12
rule adopted under subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to 13
occupational disease claims resulting from posttraumatic stress 14
disorders of firefighters as defined in RCW 41.26.030(17) (a), (b), 15
(c), and (h) and firefighters, including supervisors, employed on a 16
full-time, fully compensated basis as a firefighter of a private 17
sector employer's fire department that includes over ((fifty)) 50 18
such firefighters, ((and)) law enforcement officers as defined in RCW 19
41.26.030(19) (b), (c), and (e), ((and)) public safety 20
telecommunicators who receive calls for assistance and dispatch 21
H-0101.1
HOUSE BILL 1002
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Abbarno, Rude, Marshall, Callan, Doglio, Timmons,
Goodman, Pollet, Davis, and Scott
Prefiled 12/02/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Labor & Workplace Standards.
p. 1 HB 1002
emergency services , and county coroners and medical examiner 1
personnel. 2
(b) For firefighters as defined in RCW 41.26.030(17) (a), (b), 3
(c), and (h) and firefighters, including supervisors, employed on a 4
full-time, fully compensated basis as a firefighter of a private 5
sector employer's fire department that includes over ((fifty)) 50 6
such firefighters, ((and)) law enforcement officers as defined in RCW 7
41.26.030(19) (b), (c), and (e) hired after June 7, 2018, ((and)) 8
public safety telecommunicators hired after June 11, 2020, and county 9
coroners and medical examiner personnel hired after January 1, 2026, 10
(a) of this subsection only applies if the firefighter ((or)), law 11
enforcement officer , ((or)) public safety telecommunicators , or 12
county coroner or medical examiner personnel , as a condition of 13
employment, has submitted to a psychological examination administered 14
by a psychiatrist licensed in the state of Washington under chapter 15
18.71 RCW or a psychologist licensed in the state of Washington under 16
chapter 18.83 RCW that ruled out the presence of posttraumatic stress 17
disorder from preemployment exposures. If the employer does not 18
provide the psychological examination, (a) of this subsection 19
applies. 20
(c) Posttraumatic stress disorder for purposes of this 21
subsection((s (2))) and subsection (3) of this section is not 22
considered an occupational disease if the disorder is directly 23
attributed to disciplinary action, work evaluation, job transfer, 24
layoff, demotion, termination, or similar action taken in good faith 25
by an employer. 26
(d) "Public safety telecommunicators" means individuals who 27
receive and respond to telephone or other electronic requests for 28
emergency assistance, such as law enforcement, fire, and medical 29
services, and dispatch appropriate emergency responders.30
(e) "County coroner and medical examiner personnel" means 31
individuals who respond to, investigate, handle evidence, or conduct 32
autopsies for cases under the jurisdiction of a county coroner or 33
medical examiner.34
(3)(a) Except as provided in this subsection, the rule adopted 35
under subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to occupational 36
disease claims resulting from posttraumatic stress disorders of 37
direct care registered nurses as defined in RCW 51.32.395.38
(b) The limitation in subsection (2)(c) of this section also 39
applies to this subsection (3). 40
p. 2 HB 1002
(c) This subsection (3) applies only to a direct care registered 1
nurse who has posttraumatic stress disorder that develops or 2
manifests itself after the individual has been employed on a fully 3
compensated basis as a direct care registered nurse in Washington 4
state for at least 90 consecutive days. 5
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p. 3 HB 1002