First responders pleaded with lawmakers not to let bipartisan legislation allowing them to access workers' compensation for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder linger any longer.
Last year, it received overwhelming support in both chambers but failed to get a final clerical vote in the Senate before the session ended. In Wisconsin, police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers are not eligible to file for workers' compensation for PTSD. During Monday's Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform public hearing, many argued it's not a disorder, rather an injury.
"We can handle the active shooter event, we've been training on that," said Middleton Police Chief Troy Hellenbrand. "But what I wasn't prepared for was how my body would react to that situation."
Among the group of first responders was Brent Jones, who TMJ4 News met last February when covering this same legislation.