COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio lawmakers authorised $40 million for a brand new state fund that may present direct monetary help to firefighters, cops and EMS personnel recognized with post-traumatic stress harm.
The funding is included in House Bill 184, a wide-ranging spending measure that’s awaiting Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature.
Section 12 of the invoice directs the state to switch cash from the General Revenue Fund into the State Post-Traumatic Stress Fund on July 1, 2026, or as quickly as attainable thereafter, WCPO reported. Lawmakers famous the fund was created in 2020 however has remained idle and unfunded till now.
The fund is meant to assist cowl misplaced wages and medical prices for first responders who develop into disabled by job-related PTSD.
“We are finally getting money into that fund, and this is important. But it’s also important that we don’t say that we fixed this problem,” Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake, mentioned earlier than the vote.
Volunteer firefighter and state Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., agreed, however referred to as the transfer “a huge deal,” noting that first responders see trauma “almost on a daily basis” and far of that stress goes untreated. He mentioned the fund will assist fill a niche in Ohio’s staff’ comp system, which covers bodily accidents on the job however not psychological trauma.
Hall mentioned the following step is to satisfy with first responders and their advocacy teams to develop the framework for a way the fund will function.
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