2019 New Hampshire Revised Statutes
Title XXIII - Labor
Chapter 281-A - Workers' Compensation
Section 281-A:17-b - Commission to Study the Incidence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders Established.

[RSA 281-A:17-b repealed by 2019, 251:5, effective November 1, 2020.]     281-A:17-b Commission to Study the Incidence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders Established. –
I. (a) There is established the commission to study the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders and whether such disorder should be covered under workers' compensation. The members of the commission shall be as follows:
(1) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
(2) Three members of the house of representatives, one of whom shall be from the labor, industrial and rehabilitative services committee, one of whom shall be from the executive departments and administration committee, and one of whom shall be from the state-federal relations and veterans affairs committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(3) The labor commissioner, or designee.
(4) The commissioner of safety, or designee.
(5) The insurance commissioner, or designee.
(6) A representative of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, appointed by the association.
(7) A representative of the New Hampshire Association of Counties, appointed by the association.
(8) A representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire, appointed by the alliance.
(9) A fire chief, appointed by the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs.
(10) One member appointed by the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police.
(11) One member appointed by the New Hampshire Police Association.
(12) A representative of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire, appointed by that organization.
(13) A representative of the New Hampshire Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, appointed by the association.
(14) A representative of the New Hampshire Public Risk Management Exchange, appointed by that organization.
(15) An attorney, appointed by the New Hampshire Association for Justice.
(b) Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.
II. (a) The commission shall study:
(1) The prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among first responders.
(2) The prevalence of PTSD, or factors contributing to PTSD, among first responders at the time of hiring.
(3) The extent to which first responders' employment benefits provide health insurance coverage for treatment of PTSD.
(4) The degree to which employers who hire first responders are capable of reassigning affected workers to less stressful positions that would allow employees to continue working while receiving mental health treatment.
(5) The extent to which prior military service may contribute to the rate of PTSD among first responders.
(6) The difficulty first responders currently have establishing that a PTSD diagnosis is causally related to employment.
(7) The difficulty employers would have establishing that a pre-employment condition or experience caused PTSD, rather than a first responder's current employment.
(8) The cost that creating a rebuttal presumption that PTSD was caused uncured during service in the line of duty would impose on public employers, private employers, and taxpayers, and funding solutions to mitigate such cost.
(9) The causes of high suicide rates of emergency responders, including exposure to occupational stress and emotional trauma, medication, substance abuse, disciplinary action, interaction with criminal and civil court system, and any state policies that emergency responders believe increase stress or suicide risk.
(10) Other issues the commission deems relevant to its study.
(b) The commission may solicit input from any person or entity the commission deems relevant to its study.
III. The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the senate member. The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Nine members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
IV. On or before November 1, 2019, the commission shall submit an interim report of its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library and shall submit a final report on or before November 1, 2020.

Source. 2019, 251:3, eff. July 17, 2019.