Lawmakers in Colorado are considering a bill that would provide workers compensation benefits to workers who repeatedly experience traumatic events at work if they meet certain conditions.
H.B. 1140, which was introduced and sent to the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on Monday, refers to the term “complex trauma,” which is defined in the bill as chronic or repeated exposure to traumatic events, including witnessing death, sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, or a motor vehicle accident causing bodily injury, with long-term emotional or physical symptoms.
The bill stipulates that workers must have passed a psychological fit-for-duty assessment at the time of hire and not have been previously diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder to be eligible. A licensed psychiatrist or psychologist must “reasonably believe” the complex trauma experience has caused post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the bill.
Lawmakers on Monday also read through H.B. 1139, which would remove the requirement that a surviving spouse relinquish workers comp death benefits upon remarriage, stating that “death benefits will be paid to a dependent surviving spouse of a deceased employee for life, regardless of remarriage, if the surviving spouse receives death benefits pursuant to current law, and the deceased employee was a state employee who worked in a job with a high-risk classification.” That bill was assigned to the Business Affairs & Labor Committee.