Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lawmakers hear hours of testimony on bill to add PTSD coverage for first responders under workers' comp
Summary
Sen. Cora Newman sponsored SB 394 to allow Montana first responders to claim PTSD/PTSI under workers' compensation. Supporters cited suicide and retention benefits and comparative state experience; opponents warned of employer costs and constitutional questions. Informational witnesses explained medical and legal standards.
Sen. Cora Newman (SD‑30) opened the Business and Labor Committee hearing on Senate Bill 394 by framing post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD/PTSI) as a physical, job‑related injury that can change brain structure. “PTSD is a physical injury,” Newman said, noting research on amygdala overactivity and hippocampal changes.
Newman urged the committee to view the bill as preventive and cost‑effective, placing the legislature’s fiscal question in context: she characterized the total system cost at about $890,000, with a Montana State Fund share that could be as much as $700,000 and a state agency cost near $100,000, then argued those figures were overstated. “I wanna make a strong case that this is gonna cost a lot less than is estimated in the fiscal note,” she told the committee.
Proponents across first‑respo…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
