Committee hears competing fiscal and worker-support arguments on PTSD presumption for correctional staff

The committee received a briefing and extensive public testimony on substitute House Bill 10-70, which would expand workers— compensation occupational disease coverage to include post-traumatic stress disorder for correctional facility workers and create a presumption tied to years of service.

Ben McCarthy, staff to the committee, told members the substitute bill permits occupational-disease claims for post-traumatic stress disorder for correctional facility staff, community corrections officers who work in facilities, juvenile facility staff and staff at city or county jails. The bill would also create a presumption that PTSD is an occupational disease for workers who have been employed on a fully compensated basis in Washington for at least 90 days; that presumption would extend for three calendar years for each year…