HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

1 The Workers Compensation Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 492 is amended by adding the following section

First responders post-traumatic stress disorder presumption

5.2   (1) In subsection (3) of this section, "first responder" means someone who is

(a) described by paragraph (c) of the definition of "worker", and one of the following;

(b) an individual who is an Emergency Medical Assistant licensed by the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board;

(c) a full-time firefighter or part-time, volunteer firefighter as defined in section 6.1;

(d) an individual appointed as a peace officer, police officer, sheriff, corrections officer;

(e) a 9-1-1 communications officer employed by any of the above organizations or by Emergency Communications for British Columbia Inc.

(2) In this section, "psychologist" has the same meaning as in section 5.1 of this Act.

(3) If a worker who is or has been a first responder is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by a physician or psychologist, the post-traumatic stress disorder shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proven, to be an injury that arose out of and occurred during the course of the worker's employment.

(4) The presumption in subsection (3) applies only to a worker who

(a) has been exposed to a traumatic event or events of a type specified in the most recent American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders at the time of the diagnosis as a trigger for post-traumatic stress disorder, and

(b) is first disabled by post-traumatic stress disorder on or after February 14, 2016.

 
Explanatory Note

This Act amends the Workers Compensation Act in order to provide support and care for British Columbia's first responders. The Act creates a presumptive clause for first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In recognition of the crucial role paramedics, firefighters, police officers, and others play in ensuring the health and safety of British Columbians, this Act guarantees that they will receive timely support and treatment when they are suffering from exposure to traumatic events.