Mental Health Protections for First Responders Workgroup.

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Affected by 63I-2-234 on 5/15/2025

Effective 5/5/2021
34A-2-107.3. Mental Health Protections for First Responders Workgroup.
  • (1) There is created the Mental Health Protections for First Responders Workgroup within the commission consisting of the following members:
    • (a) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee;
    • (b) one member of the Senate, appointed by the president of the Senate, and one member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;
    • (c) three representatives of the workers' compensation insurance industry appointed by the chair, one of whom is a voting member of the employer side of the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council, as follows:
      • (i) one member representing the insurance carrier designated to write coverage for the residual market;
      • (ii) one member representing an insurance carrier other than the carrier described in Subsection (1)(c)(i); and
      • (iii) one member representing self-insured employers;
    • (d) one member representing the Division of Risk Management;
    • (e) four representatives of first responders appointed by the chair, one of whom is a voting member of the employee side of the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council;
    • (f) one representative from the Utah League of Cities and Towns;
    • (g) one representative from the Utah Association of Counties;
    • (h) one representative from the Utah Association of Special Districts;
    • (i) the director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, or the director's designee; and
    • (j) as appointed by the chair, one or more individuals with expertise in mental stress or occupational medicine to serve as ex officio, nonvoting members of the workgroup.
  • (2) The commissioner or the commissioner's designee is the chair of the workgroup.
  • (3)
    • (a) A majority of the members of the workgroup constitutes a quorum.
    • (b) The action of a majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the workgroup.
  • (4)
    • (a) The salary and expenses of each member of the workgroup who is a legislator shall be paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rules, Title 5, Legislative Compensation and Expenses.
    • (b) A member of the workgroup who is not a legislator may not receive compensation, benefits, per diem, or travel expenses for the member's service on the workgroup.
  • (5) The commission shall provide staff support to the workgroup.
  • (6) The workgroup shall review and make recommendations on the following issues:
    • (a) the alleviation of barriers, including financial barriers, to mental health treatment for first responders inside and outside of the workers' compensation system;
    • (b) statutory requirements for compensability of mental stress claims from first responders under Chapter 2, Workers' Compensation Act, and Chapter 3, Utah Occupational Disease Act;
    • (c) improving a first responder's accessibility to mental health treatment; and
    • (d) any additional issue that the workgroup:
      • (i) determines is an important issue related to workers' compensation for first responders; and
      • (ii) decides to review.
  • (7) The workgroup shall present a final report on the items described in Subsection (6), including any legislative recommendations, to the Business and Labor Interim Committee on or before September 30, 2025.




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