Legislation to cover first responders with PTSD passes out of House committee

ATLANTA — State Rep. J. Collins, R-Villa Rica, chairman of the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, lauded the work of the members of the committee for recently passing House Bill 451 out of committee. This bill would require public entities to provide supplemental, illness-specific insurance to certain first responders diagnosed with occupational post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“House Bill 451 is a pioneering piece of legislation that is much needed to support Georgia’s first responders who are struggling with PTSD,” Collins said. “Our first responders and public safety officials are often the first to arrive at an emergency scene, and their experiences can have a lasting impact on their mental health. We must ensure that our first responders are given ample opportunities to receive treatment, if necessary, and this legislation aims to do just that.

I am proud to see this crucial bill receive bipartisan support in our committee and look forward to continuing the work this session to send the bill to the governor’s desk.”

“As a member of the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, I am proud to support this necessary legislation that will extend insurance coverage to first responders struggling with PTSD,” state Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert. “We cannot overstate the important role of Georgia’s first responders. First responders risk their lives each day to save our own, and I applaud the work of the committee and my colleagues and look forward to supporting this bill on the House floor in the coming weeks.”

HB 451 would require a public entity to provide supplemental, illness-specific insurance to certain first responders diagnosed with occupational PTSD. The bill now awaits consideration in the House Rules Committee before being scheduled for a vote on the House Floor.

Collins represents the citizens of District 71, which includes portions of Carroll County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves as chairman of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.

Greene represents the citizens of District 154, which includes Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Early, Miller, Quitman, Randolph and Seminole counties, as well as portions of Dougherty County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and currently serves as chairman of the State Properties Committee and vice chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development. He also serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Retirement, Rules, Special Rules and Urban Affairs committees.

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