HB1505
To Require A Public Employer To Offer And Provide Coverage For Licensed Counseling For A Public Safety Employee Who Has Experienced A Traumatic Event; And To Declare An Emergency.
AI-Generated Summary
This bill proposes to amend existing law concerning public safety employees and traumatic events. It defines specific roles within "firefighter," "police officer," and "public safety employee" categories, as well as "licensed counseling" and "licensed mental health professional." The core of the bill requires public employers to provide coverage for licensed counseling for public safety employees who experience a traumatic event. This coverage is specified to include up to twelve licensed counseling visits per calendar year, with provisions for carryover of unused visits up to a maximum of eighteen in a single year. Public employers are mandated to pay for these services, with payment amounts not exceeding the deductibles and conditions of the employee's current health benefit plan. Employees are to provide documentation for billed amounts. The bill also allows public employers to use existing or new programs to meet these requirements. Finally, it declares an emergency, stating that the prior legislative act requiring similar coverage expired, and this bill is necessary for the continued well-being and service of public safety employees, thereby preserving public peace, health, and safety.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of this bill are public safety employees in Arkansas, including firefighters, police officers, probation officers, surveillance officers, and adult or juvenile detention officers. These individuals will have access to licensed counseling services to address the psychological impact of traumatic events they experience in the line of duty. Licensed mental health professionals who provide trauma and crisis specialized, evidence-based treatment will also benefit from a defined payment structure and increased demand for their services from this specific employee group. Public employers, while incurring costs, may benefit from potentially improved employee well-being, reduced turnover, and enhanced operational effectiveness of their public safety workforce.
Who Might Suffer?
The groups most directly and negatively impacted by this bill are the public employers in Arkansas that are responsible for employing public safety employees. These entities will face an increased financial obligation to cover the costs of licensed counseling services for their employees. The bill mandates that these employers pay for up to twelve counseling visits per employee per year, or up to eighteen in certain circumstances, with payments not exceeding the employee's current health benefit plan deductibles and conditions. While specific funding mechanisms are not detailed within the provided text, this mandate represents a new or reinstated expenditure that could strain public employer budgets, potentially leading to reallocations of funds from other services or an increase in taxes.