Committee moves House Bill 81 to rules after tabling PTSD coverage amendment and adopting ombud renaming

The House Public Insurance and Pensions Committee voted to report House Bill 81 to the House Rules and Reference Committee after lawmakers tabled two proposed amendments and accepted a renaming change to the bill.

Representative Brennan introduced Amendment 2-19-1, which would have made peace officers, firefighters and emergency medical workers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder eligible to receive workers' compensation compensation and benefits for up to one year without a required accompanying physical injury and would have eliminated the state PTSD fund. Brennan said the amendment aims to treat PTSD as an injury rather than a psychiatric condition that requires a physical injury to qualify. "Not all wounds are visible," Brennan said, recounting a visit to a rotunda display for fallen veterans. He later cited what he described as an $8,000,000,000 surplus at the Bureau of Workers' Compensation and pointed to a 2018 Florida law as an example of broader PTSD coverage.

Vice Chair Tesco moved to lay Amendment 2-19-1 on the table. The clerk called the roll; the recorded roll-call entries in the transcript show 10 yes votes and 3 no votes, and the chair declared the amendment laid on the table. The transcript does not audibly record one member's individual response for that roll call in the provided text.

Representative Brown offered Amendment 2-43, which would have required the Bureau of Workers' Compensation to create and post an informational pamphlet explaining how to report workplace injuries and occupational disease, how to complete forms, the importance of seeking medical attention, and contact information for the workers' compensation ombud system; the pamphlet would be provided at hire, annually, and whenever an employer becomes aware of an injury. Vice Chair Tesco moved to lay that amendment on the table as well; the clerk conducted a roll call and the chair declared Amendment 2-43 laid on the table.

The committee adopted Amendment 2-53, offered by Representative Bridal, which renames the "workers' compensation ombud system" to the "workers' compensation customer advocacy office" and changes the titles of chief ombud persons to chief customer advocate and assistant customer advocates. Chair Peterson asked for objections and, seeing none, added the amendment to the bill.

Representative Tesco then moved that House Bill 81 be favorably reported and recommended for passage. The clerk called the roll and the committee approved the motion; the chair announced that HB81 was reported out of committee and referred to the House Rules and Reference Committee.

The committee record shows extended floor discussion on whether and how to expand PTSD coverage for public safety workers; the key proposed change (Amendment 2-19-1) was tabled, and two other amendment outcomes (one tabled, one adopted) were recorded. The transcript does not include fiscal analyses or the BWC's written estimates; the claim about the BWC surplus was made on the floor by a member during debate.

The bill will move to the House Rules and Reference Committee with Amendment 2-53 incorporated and Amendments 2-19-1 and 2-43 tabled.