Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 200
       
       
        
       By Senator Rodriguez
       
       
       
       
       
       39-00403-22                                            2022200__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to first responder employment-related
    3         accidents and injuries; amending s. 112.1815, F.S.;
    4         revising the definition of the term “first responder”
    5         to include certain correctional officers and 911
    6         public safety telecommunicators; expanding eligibility
    7         for certain workers’ compensation benefits for first
    8         responders to include certain correctional officers
    9         and 911 public safety telecommunicators; requiring an
   10         employing agency to annually provide specified
   11         educational training; providing requirements for such
   12         training; providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Subsections (1) and (6) of section 112.1815,
   17  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   18         112.1815 First responders Firefighters, paramedics,
   19  emergency medical technicians, and law enforcement officers;
   20  special provisions for employment-related accidents and
   21  injuries.—
   22         (1) For purposes of this section only, the term “first
   23  responder” as used in this section means a law enforcement
   24  officer as defined in s. 943.10(1) s. 943.10, a firefighter as
   25  defined in s. 633.102(9) s. 633.102, or an emergency medical
   26  technician or paramedic as defined in s. 401.23, a correctional
   27  officer as defined in s. 943.10(2), a correctional probation
   28  officer as defined in s. 943.10(3), or a 911 public safety
   29  telecommunicator as defined in s. 401.465(1) employed by state
   30  or local government. The term includes first responders serving
   31  in a volunteer capacity who are law enforcement officer,
   32  firefighter, or emergency medical technician or paramedic
   33  engaged by the state or a local government is also considered a
   34  first responder of the state or local government for purposes of
   35  this section.
   36         (6) An employing agency of a first responder, including
   37  volunteer first responders, must provide at least 1 hour of
   38  educational training related to mental health awareness,
   39  prevention, mitigation, and treatment annually. Such training
   40  may be provided in person, in video format, or through other
   41  electronic means. The required educational training must include
   42  specific training on evidence-based coping strategies to
   43  mitigate traumatic stress in first responders, as well as
   44  information on suicide prevention and peer support for first
   45  responders under s. 111.09. Additional training may include, but
   46  is not limited to, information relating to emotional support
   47  animals as defined in s. 760.27(1). The training required under
   48  this subsection must be provided by a mental health practitioner
   49  licensed under chapter 490 or chapter 491 who specializes in
   50  posttraumatic stress disorder.
   51         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.