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Panel backs expansion of death and disability benefits to include PTSD for volunteer and career first responders
Summary
Witnesses urged the committee to support House Bill 76, which would extend Maryland death and disability benefits to first responders whose deaths or permanent disabilities are attributed to job‑related PTSD and other stress‑related conditions; advocates said the change mirrors a federal law and addresses a growing trend of mental‑health-related on
Delegate Mary Lehman presented House Bill 76 to extend death and disability benefits to qualifying Maryland public‑safety personnel who die by suicide or become permanently disabled as a result of job‑related post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other stress‑related mental‑health conditions. The bill would align state public‑safety benefits with federal provisions passed by Congress and signed in August 2022, Lehman said.
Supporters included volunteer fire chiefs, the Maryland State Firefighters Association (MSFA), trauma counselors and family members of deceased responders. MSFA trustee Joel McCrae noted the association administers benefits funded by annual state appropriations and cautioned that the fiscal note may understate future state expenditures because additional benefits could increase payouts.
Janet DeMarin, a volunteer fire chief, recounted losing a longtime volunteer to suicide and said “there was nothing for him before he committed suicide” and nothing for his family afterward. Sarah Laird, whose husband and a colleague died in separate workplace incidents, urged the state to recognize deaths tied to occupational trauma. “Science tells us that irregular sleep schedules that first responders endure alone results in PTSD,” Laird said, and she asked lawmakers to extend benefits to families of those who die by suicide.
A trauma counselor, Hope Larson, testified in favor and highlighted the prevalence of first‑responder suicides and mental‑health strain; MSFA representatives requested a favorable vote but noted possible fiscal implications. The committee asked whether the bill is optional for local governments; Lehman said she would follow up and that some aspects of administration may require local resolution, per the fiscal note.
Ending: Supporters emphasized the bill as a parity and public‑health measure to support responders and survivors; the committee took testimony and will consider the bill in committee business.
