CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey recently joined a bipartisan coalition of 53 attorneys general in urging Congress to pass The Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022.
The legislation addresses gaps in support for public safety officers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder associated with the high-risk nature of their jobs.
In the letter, the attorneys general praise the work of public safety officers including police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians who respond to stressful and potentially traumatic situations. Compared to the general public, they are 25.6 times more likely to develop PTSD, and research shows those suffering from PTSD are at increased risk of suicide.
“Those who protect and serve deserve to know assistance is theirs if they need it,” Morrisey said in a press release. “This legislation will provide essential support for those who put their own lives at risk in the line of duty for our sake.
The legislation supports public safety officers suffering from PTSD by:
- Designating work-related PTSD as a “line-of duty” injury for eligible officers and those disabled from attempted suicide.
- Allowing families of officers who die by trauma-linked suicide to apply for death benefits.
Joining West Virginia in the Tennessee-led letter were Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming