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Key Findings

• Firefighters and peace officers do not appear to have worse mental health or higher suicide rates than other workers exposed to trauma on the job, though lack of data prevented direct measurement of the incidence of PTSD.
• Prior to SB 542, first responders' PTSD workers' compensation claims were more likely to be denied than PTSD claims filed by other types of workers who were exposed to trauma on the job.
• First responders' PTSD workers' compensation claims were more likely to be denied than claims for other conditions (such as cancer or heart trouble) that were already covered by a rebuttable presumption of being work-related.
• Under SB 542, additional costs to state and local governments for workers' compensation benefits for first responders with PTSD could be large but are highly uncertain. Without SB 542, the estimated statewide average yearly cost of benefits over 2020–2024 for new injury claims involving PTSD would have been about $14 million per year for peace officers and about $6 million per year for firefighters. Under intermediate assumptions, SB 542 might increase these costs to $95 million per year for peace officers and $21 million per year for firefighters.
• However, costs with SB 542 in place might range from $38 million to $179 million per year for peace officers and $10 million to $168 million per year for firefighters.
• First responders face many challenges to accessing mental health care for work-related trauma exposure that cannot be solely addressed by SB 542.
• Further research on SB 542's effects prior to its 2025 expiration would better inform evaluation of the law's effectiveness.