§ 5502.75 — [Former R.C. 126.65, amended and renumbered by H.B. 184, 136th General Assembly, effective 03/20/2026] State post-traumatic stress fund

Ohio § 5502.75

• Jurisdiction: Ohio
• Title 55: Roads-Highways-Bridges
• Ch. 5502: Department of Public Safety

Text

(A) As used in this section, "public safety officer" includes all the following, whether paid or volunteer:

(1) A peace officer, as defined in section2935.01of the Revised Code;

(2) A firefighter of a lawfully constituted fire department;

(3) A first responder, emergency medical technician-basic, emergency medical technician-intermediate, or emergency medical technician-paramedic certified under Chapter 4765. of the Revised Code.

(B) The state post-traumatic stress fund is created in the state treasury. The director of public safety shall be the trustee of the fund.

(C) The state post-traumatic stress fund shall be used for the following purposes:

(1) Payment of compensation for lost wages that result from a public safety officer being disabled by post-traumatic stress disorder received in the course of, and arising out of, employment as a public safety officer but without an accompanying physical injury;

(2) Payment of medical, nurse, therapy, and hospital services and medicines required to treat a public safety officer diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder received in the course of, and arising out of, employment as a public safety officer but without an accompanying physical injury;

(3) Payment of administrative costs incurred in providing the compensation and benefits described in divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section.

(D) No employer shall discharge, demote, reassign, or take any punitive action against any public safety officer because the officer filed a claim or instituted, pursued, or testified in any proceedings related to compensation or benefits paid from the state post traumatic stress fund as a result of a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder received in the course of, and arising out of, employment as a public safety officer but without an accompanying physical injury. Any such officer may file an action in the common pleas court of the county of the officer's employment in which the relief which may be granted shall be limited to reasonable attorney fees and reinstatement with back pay, if the action is based on discharge, or an award for wages lost if based upon demotion, reassignment, or punitive action taken, offset by earnings subsequent to discharge, demotion, reassignment, or punitive action taken. The action shall be forever barred unless filed within one hundred eighty days immediately following the discharge, demotion, reassignment, or punitive action taken, and no action may be instituted or maintained unless the employer has received written notice of a claimed violation of this section within the ninety days immediately following the discharge, demotion, reassignment, or punitive action taken.

(E) There shall be no payments made from the state post-traumatic stress fund pursuant to division (C) of this section and no person is eligible for any claims and no liability shall accrue to any state party under this section.

Last updated January 22, 2026 at 2:37 PM

Legislative History

Effective: March 20, 2026 | Latest Legislation: House Bill 184 - 136th General Assembly