Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Shapiro Administration announced a new provision from Act 121 of 2024 is now in effect which provides stronger protections and access to care for firefighters, police, EMTs, and paramedics diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI). The legislation, signed by Governor Shapiro in October 2024, removes burdensome requirements for claimants and better aligns state law with the realities of trauma exposure in emergency service professions. An August 2025 PTSI related article article estimates nearly one in seven first responders suffer from PTSI.
This law represents a significant shift in how we honor and protect those who protect us. Removing the barrier of ‘objective abnormal working conditions’ allows firefighters and other first responders to seek the help they deserve and relieves a burden that kept too many from care. We’ll continue to work with fire service leadership across Pennsylvania to ensure those in need get the care they deserve.
— State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook
“This law ensures that firefighters and other first responders no longer have to suffer in silence,” said Bob Brooks, President of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association. “We’ve taken an important step toward treating mental health injuries with the same seriousness as physical ones. It’s about fairness, compassion, and respect for the men and women who serve. We’re grateful for the partnership we found in Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania legislature to get this important law signed and implemented.”
Effective October 30, 2025, the law amends the Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Act to transform how PTSI claims are handled under Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system. Previously, first responders were required to prove “objective abnormal working conditions”. This standard often prevented many eligible workers from getting access to benefits and care. The amendment removes this requirement and now permits diagnoses of PTSI arising from either a single traumatic event or cumulative exposure to severe stressors in the line of duty.
For more information about the law and how to access services, visit the OSFC Health & Wellness resources page. If you or a loved one need immediate support with a behavioral health issue, call or text 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org to chat with a trained crisis counselor.