Lawmakers Approve Bill That Would Expand Rebuttable PTSD Presumption

The California state Senate on Wednesday approved legislation that would extend a rebuttable presumption for post-traumatic stress disorder claims to employees at the Department of State Hospitals, the Department of Developmental Services and the California Military Department. Legislators voted 37-1 to pass Senate Bill 284, by Sen. Henry Stern, D-Canoga Park, which would expand the PTSD presumption to include firefighting staff and peace officers who aren’t covered under Senate Bill 542, which became law in 2019. SB 284 also would extend coverage to public safety dispatchers and emerg...